The Revolution of the Automotive Industry using Virtual Reality with SEAT
Virtual reality became one of the most used technologies by industries, as time passes more and more sectors are now using this technology, one of them being the automotive industry. At the same time, 3D has revolutionized the way to create and develop cars in recent decades. Taking about this revolution, the question that everyone is asking is” how are these new tools applied to car manufacturing?”. To answer this we are going to talk about the Automotive Company SEAT’s use of case:
- Designers with Full HD glasses: These glasses helped them to immerse themselves in a driving experience that is similar to what customers would have. Although the initial design of a new car always begins with pencil and paper, 3D technology soon comes into play. Thanks to this, designers can not only evaluate purely creative aspects but other more functional ones as well, which ensures that 90% of the initial sketches are viable.
- 95,000 3D simulations per model: Virtual reality played an essential role in every development stage. 95,000 simulations were performed in the case of the new SEAT Ibiza, which is twice as many as for the previous generation. Among other tests carried out, virtual collisions were staged so that can be safer than ever. Nowadays, during the approximately three and a half years of development that go into a car, up to three million elements are analyzed using simulations, a figure which was limited to about only 5,000 items 30 years ago.
This technology succeeds in reducing the production time of the prototypes by 30%.
- 30% reduction in prototype production time: This technology helped them to reduce by half the number of prototypes that needed to be made physically prior to launching a new model. It also allowed their production time to be lowered by 30%.
95,000 simulations were carried out on models with up to 3 million elements in the development stage.
- More than 800 areas of improvement for each model: This reduction in time and resources in the production of a car had a direct effect on customers, not only in the precision and quality of the product but also in lowering the final Price. In this use case, up to 800 improvements were introduced before it went into production.
Virtual reality was used to analyze and improve the ergonomics of workers on the production line.
- Immersion in the virtual factory: Virtual technologies also provided an immersive experience to reproduce the real world. In this regard, by using 3D glasses and a few controls, technicians at the Prototype Development Centre were able to imitate and analyze the movements made by workers on the assembly line in order to optimize their working time and improve workstation ergonomics.
Conclusion
Adding to this use of technology, choosing a car from a catalog will soon be a thing of the past. Thanks to virtual reality, customers can configure the trim level and color of their vehicle. They will also be able to experience a virtual test drive without stepping outside the dealership.
What do you think about the coming future of the automotive industry? Customer experience and manufacturing processes will soon be improved in an easy way for clients and producers. If you want to step into this innovative path, contact us and start making your own success story.
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