Advanced augmented reality and virtual reality technologies is being used increasingly in different industry segments to further productivity and workplace efficiency. Take for instance Honda that is banking heavily on virtual reality to develop its new all-wheel drive 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport or the all-electric 2024 Honda Prologue.
The impetus to adopt VR tech in advancing the design and develop the all-new Prologue gained momentum during the pandemic which greatly restricted the movement of engineers and designers, the company revealed in a press release. This impacted their ability to collaborate which again was mitigated by the use of the right VR tools and methods put forth by the Honda Design Studio in Los Angeles. This ensured, the company design and development teams spread across the world were able to interact closely and contribute to the completion of the Prologue vehicle.
“Incorporating virtual and augmented reality in the design process allowed our Honda engineers and designers to merge digital content and physical assets in a cohesive way to interact with what they’re experiencing and touching in an immersive environment,” said Mathieu Geslin, VR technology leader, Honda Design studio. “Honda Prologue was key to fully using VR in a data-led design process, with clay modeling as the verification tool, something we will carry forward into the development of other Honda products.”
The company however used the conventional clay model technique to refine the exterior styling aspect though VR and AR technology were employed for setting the interiors in order. This enabled the team to try and visualize almost unlimited possibilities in trying out different color combinations, materials, finish and so on, something that would have been both expensive and time consuming when carried out using real world objects.
“Virtual reality prototyping removed limitations to the interior design and allowed us to address feedback quicker and collaborate more cohesively with the HMI and color, materials and finishes design teams,” said Lisa Lee, interior design project lead.
The company however also stressed on the human aspect in the entire development process, something that it claimed is vital to ensure the success of the project.
“We don’t want to lose emotion and the human touch to Honda design, so we won’t pursue a purely digital approach, but we are really excited about the Honda products that will be coming to customers in the future by leveraging VR technology,” said Mathieu. “It’s an ongoing effort to further explore the technical capabilities of VR and AR in our development centers worldwide for cross-collaboration that will further enhance the appeal and quality of our products.”
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in the world of technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles as well, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. Motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot and maybe I’ll make a film sometime in the future.