After a successful pilot program over the past year, auto-making giant Ford says that it will expand its use of Microsoft’s HoloLens for vehicle design, by using hologram goggles. The new technology uses mixed reality, which enables designers to see holograms in photo-quality backdrops through wire-free headsets. Beyond that, this will allow its designers to iterate and experiment more freely, which could result in more exciting vehicle designs in the long run. Designers see 3D holographic images of themes and features as though these elements were already part of the vehicle – allowing them to quickly evaluate the design, make changes, and determine styling options earlier in development.
“It’s wonderful we can combine the old and the new – clay models and holograms – in a way that both saves time and allows designers to experiment and iterate quickly to dream up even more stylish, clever vehicles”, said Jim Holland, Ford vice president, vehicle component and systems engineering, in a statement. Ford’s Holland says designers can change side mirror designs in “near real time” with HoloLens. Ford thinks that the HoloLens will lead to quicker decision on design of vehicles because you can show others what something looks like instead of telling them. It is exciting because it helps our designers and engineers communicate effectively and ideate to see the future earlier in the process by mixing virtual and physical models. Each $5,000 headset contains a Windows 10-based computer and all of the sensors, connectivity, visualization and sound amplification equipment needed for each wearer. This will give its industrial designers and engineers the ability to visualize their concepts before building a physical clay model, which is a costly process, especially when changes need to be made Using hologram goggles). Since then, a number of companies have used it for commercial purposes, such as Thyssenkrupp for elevator design, NASA for simulating the Martian surface and Case Western Reserve University for teaching anatomy. HoloLens also permits designers and planners to collaborate with others by recording audible notes on vehicle attributes and attaching them to a specific location on the vehicle for follow up. It looks like Ford is now gearing up to move away from that clay as a design medium and is testing the Microsoft Hololens. “Possibilities for the future seem nearly limitless”… using hologram goggles, he said.”This is very exciting”. Newburgh Gazette
http://newburghgazette.com/2017/09/21/limitless-possibilities-ford-uses-hologram-goggles-to-help/
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