In collaboration with Swiss-based augmented-reality brand WayRay, Hyundai is one of the leading auto manufacturers that is adding AR/VR tech into their merchandise.
Augmented reality is giving drivers a safe way to access in-car features like navigation, Google search, and entertainment apps.
Read on to see how Hyundai is using augmentative and virtual reality to drive innovation across the automobile marketplace.
Consumer Education
This might not seem like a critical component of car retail, but it’s a huge part of the car-buying process for virtually every consumer. Enhancing consumer education is proven to be effective for streamlining the purchase process every step of the way.
By using augmentative reality apps, consumers can get a deeper understanding of new and used cars by working with an interactive image or video of the product. Users can view an image of a car online, and tap different parts of the photo to read more about key features and information pertaining to the product.
The research phase makes up the majority of the car-buying process for most consumers. By having all the information they could need about their prospective purchase in one digital location, buyers can spend less time on the lot (or on the phone) with a Hyundai representative.
Overall, enhancing consumer education is a creative way for both sides of the transaction to save time and money throughout the entire process. Plus, having more preliminary data regarding any purchase is proven to boost customer satisfaction – and reduce the chances of buyer’s remorse.
Prototype and Demo Development
While Hyundai hasn’t confirmed or denied exactly which future models will have this technology, their newest prototype shows promising results for the auto brand. But, using AR/VR in auto manufacturing is already changing the research and development process in a big way.
In fact, the revolutionary technology is helping Hyundai to credit new prototypes and models in the first place. This cost-saving method has allowed the auto brand to continue operating under social distancing measuresduring the pandemic.
Rather than being limited by space and physical resources, Hyundai uses VR headsets to give multiple users access to the same digital development situations. This means that up to 20 different team members can collaborate in the same digital environment, using the headsets 36 motion tracking sensors and secure online connectivity.
Using these digital systems to create product demos and prototype models can save auto brand millions in just one step.
In recent testing, Hyundai has been able to reduce development times by up to 20%, and annual development costs by 15%. This has made the manufacturing and sales processes cheaper and more efficient across the board.
But, augmented and virtual reality systems are expected to permeate the mainstream market for drivers as well. Read on to learn how Hyundai is using this technology to enhance the in-car experience.
Testing and Innovation
The testing process is critical for ensuring customer safety and satisfaction. Traditionally, this phase has been completed with actual working prototypes in a custom-built driving track. Technicians also use dummies and physical objects to measure the critical components that can determine the safety rating and performance of each vehicle.
Since VR exists in a fully digital environment, this method can help technicians secure a 100% accuracy rate. Demos and test models aren’t subjected to any unpredictable environmental factors, and users have the option to repeat tests as needed without increasing the operational costs.
Additionally, using digital test routes allows auto brands to test their vehicles in a variety of scenarios and terrains without increasing overhead. Test vehicles can perform on a mountaintop track, or through the desert to build an accurate simulation for each model.
Improved testing measures and the availability of unlimited testing trials has been proven to streamline data management and reporting. This has bled into Hyundai’s trajectory toward developing autonomous vehicles and other cutting-edge systems.
Safer Driving
Augmented and virtual reality technology is making the manufacturing process easier and more secure for technicians, but it’s also drastically improving safety measures for new buyers.
By removing the need to use handheld devices for common functions like navigation and traffic alerts, augmented reality in cars is making the road safer for drivers and passersby. From the time they leave the driveway to when they return back home, drivers can access information via strategic projections onto the dashboard and windshield.
Keeping all of this information in the driver’s natural view can significantly improve their response and reaction time if an unexpected obstruction or pedestrians appears in the road.
Projecting these details onto the driver’s direct line of sight is proven to be safer than using mobile apps through phones or other handheld devices. Even Bluetooth-connected devices require some attention from the road to operate while driving.
Competitive Market Analysis
The AR startup has worked with other auto brands in the past, but they’ve been coursing through the digital landscape with Hyundai to become an even more influential player in the consumer vehicle market. Hyundai has been utilizing augmented reality technology since 2015, but WayRay is helping them cross over to a new dimension of driving safety and simplicity.
Augmented and virtual reality systems are also being used by the auto manufacturer on the business side. This has made the purchasing experience faster, easier, and cheaper for buyers and authorized dealers.
Hyundai has production and sales centers around the world, throughout Europe, China, and India as well as the U.S. Using VR headsets to boost inter-team communication has given representatives from any corporate office the ability to collaborate fluidly.
Using AR-enabled shopping apps, users are able to find key information about any vehicle with the tap of their finger. Buyers can also use a virtual reality headset to perform a digital test drive that can mimic any type of landscape or terrain.
Augmented and virtual reality accessories are the new equalizer in the mass automobile e-commerce market. These tools are setting apart industry leaders from those who will be left behind if they don’t jump on this fast-moving bandwagon.
Holographic Projections and Improved Graphics
New Hyundai models might soon all include holographic navigation instead of traditional GPS systems. This new innovative development is another major factor that can change the driving experience as we know it.
Previously, augmented reality apps used reflected LCD images to project a display onto the windshield. This method produces a lower level of visibility compared to holographic AR displays.
By using holographic technology and dynamic AR sensors, WayRay’s updated system can create a digitally enhanced world that adapts to your practical surroundings, in real-time. Additionally, this makes it possible for Hyundai’s proprietary AR builds to incorporate advanced driver assistance systems. Standard ADAS features include:
- Lane departure warnings
- Forward collision warnings
- Roadwork alerts
- Weather updates
Augmented reality is becoming more realistic than ever, and developers are striving to seamlessly blend both worlds. Hyundai is at the forefront of this movement, and this update has the potential to save lives on the road.
Improvements for Future Vehicles
After collecting more than $50 million in donations from investors like General Motors Ventures, WayRay has developed revolutionary augmented reality technology to use in future Hyundai models.
Most manufacturers in the auto market have been working on improving blindspot technology for years, but augmentative and virtual reality tools take that idea to the next level.
These digital projections give drivers a sixth sense to protect them against:
- Obstacles in the road
- Upcoming construction
- Rogue objects or pedestrians
- Cyclists and smaller vehicles
- Weather and acts of God
Safety is the primary driver for automobile innovation, and it’s not surprising why. Vehicle collisions affect more than six million people every year. Augmented reality technology has the potential to reduce this number significantly, and can prevent road-based casualties over time.
This tech startup has the potential to completely change the way drivers and passengers interact with the road and their vehicle, by simply creating images that appear to be right in front of the car.
Plans for Mass Production
Although Hyundai isn’t using driver-based AR/VR in current models, they plan on unveiling this in-vehicle system by 2025.
Specifically, they’re expecting to incorporate a digital heads-up display (HUD) in all vehicles that reached their consumer base. Just like digital navigation systems are boilerplate in most new cars, AR-based HUD features are sure to become a staple in the future marketplace.
Dynamic holography is a primary driver for this brand-shifting program. This element will be built into upcoming models using two main avenues: geometrical optics and digital holography.
Furthermore, these practical applications eliminate the need for Hyundai to include external equipment for consumer use. These dynamic projection methods are freestanding and will be built into the car’s interface.
Virtual reality and augmented reality systems have been taking over the gaming sphere, but this technology is becoming a mainstay in the auto industry. Hyundai is continuing to develop tools and features using AR/VR innovation to make the manufacturing process cheaper, save time along the supply chain, and improve vehicle safety for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
These are just a few explanations for how Hyundai is using augmentative and virtual reality to thrive in the current marketplace.