Ford has teamed up with the United Space Alliance to share virtual reality technology. Ford uses virtual reality technology to look at a vehicle, be it car, truck, or crossover, before it is ever built. The United Space Alliance uses virtual reality technology to design spacecraft. Ford is sharing its expertise in combining ergonomic analysis with visualization technology, while the United Space Alliance’s expertise is in the modeling and projection hardware. From the article:
The United Space Alliance, a joint-venture between Boeing and Lockheed which runs the day-to-day operations of the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station, was particularly interested in Ford’s immersive Virtual Evaluation lab (iVE), formerly known as Cave. The lab uses virtual projections and motion-tracking cameras to create virtual models of the interiors and exteriors of future vehicles, which allows Ford to evaluate the look and ergonomics of new designs without building multiple prototypes.
via Motor Trend : Ford, United Space Alliance Team Up to Enhance Virtual Reality Modeling
Science cave, ford, virtual reality
Ford is using the same motion-capture technology used by Hollywood (in films like Avatar) to track human movements inside virtual cars, allowing them to better analyze human motion and design cars around it while avoiding expensive physical prototypes.
“This technology enables us to evaluate many vehicle exterior and interior alternatives in a virtual environment from any location — in the driver’s seat or hundreds of feet away from the vehicle – with animated characters and vehicles,” said Elizabeth Baron, a technical specialist in Virtual Reality and Advanced Visualization at Ford.
One room in the lab projects images onto three walls and the ceiling, producing interiors and exteriors at actual scale. If this technology really makes developing vehicles easier and less expensive, look for Ford to use it even more over the next couple years as it continues its drive to return to profitability by 2011.
via Ford Using Motion-Capture Tech to Help Improve Ergonomics, Design – Wide Open Throttle – Motor Trend Magazine.
Science "motion capture", automotive, ford, virtual reality
When people think of Virtual Reality they immediately imagine seeing a virtual world full of sights and sensations not available in reality, but they almost never think of the sound. Ford has found a new use for Virtual Reality in using it to create the “Virtual Vehicle Sound Simulator” to test out various automotive noises on future prototype cars.
“We create an array of 76 different simulated sounds from data gathered about the proposed vehicle,” said Clapper. “We consider body shape and powertrain design under various road conditions and speeds. When we drive the simulator, it’s amazing how we’re able to recognize sounds with our ears that we would have never picked up otherwise from that mountain of data.”
via SOUND EFFECTS: FORD USING VIRTUAL REALITY TO FINE-TUNE SOUND QUALITY INSIDE FUTURE VEHICLES | Ford Motor Company Newsroom.
Hardware, Science automotive, ford, sound, virtual reality
Ford Motor Company has recently upgraded the Powerwall in their Electronic Design Presentation Room (EDPR) and Advanced Visualization Center (AVC) with Sony 4K Projectors, thanks to help from IGI.
The Powerwall at Ford’s EDPR is 60-feet wide. It is equipped with three projectors, model number SRX-S110, which produce 10,000 ANSI lumens each, and produce 8.8 million pixels per unit. The company also uses two additional SRX-S110 projectors for two separate screens in its AVC, which are used for full-scale viewing of vehicle designs.
They say it give stheir engineers better visualizations of their designs, but I think the real purpose is merely to make a great demo to guests.
via Sony’s SXRD 4k Projectors Help Keep Ford Motor Company In The Passing Lane.
Hardware 4k, ford, igi, powerwall, sony
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