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Ford Australia upgrades virtual reality lab
New ultra-high definition lab embraces cutting edge immersion technologyFord's Virtual Reality Centre was opened less than two years ago, accompanied by plenty of fanfare and hoopla at the time.
Yet that facility is already obsolete, according to the company, which has just revealed a new VR lab is currently being built and will become operational during the third quarter of this year. The announcement today supports Ford's previous statements it will retain an R&D presence in Australia, even after the closure of the company's local production plants.
Peter Bunting, Ford APA Digital Innovation Manager, has explained in a press release that the current Ranger (the PX model developed under the T6 code name) tested the limits of the existing facility. It's not a technology issue for the Ranger however, it's the commercial vehicle's physical size – or rather the facility's lack of space.
"The PX Ranger is an example of a vehicle that only just fits in the current lab," Bunting said. "Due to the size of the vehicle, it's difficult for designers and engineers to step back and view the vehicle from a distance, just as a customer would, without running out of physical space. The new, larger lab will solve this problem.
"It's an odd problem to have, to not have enough physical space to hold a virtual model but all our models are scaled 1:1 so we need enough physical space in the lab to engage with the fullsize virtual model."
Ford's decision to build the new VR lab is not just about lack of physical accommodation however. For Ford Australia to remain a vital element in the global R&D network the VR lab needed to move with the times. That meant adopting what Ford describes as 'Hollywood-style technology' that would be compatible with software used in other Ford R&D centres around the world.
New 'photo-realistic VRED' software, supplied by Autodesk, will provide Ford engineers with 'a full ultra-high definition immersive experience'. Drawing a parallel with a highly sophisticated video game, Ford claims that the new lab will deliver engineers and designers an opportunity to engage with a new design in much the same way as a buyer would approach the physical counterpart in a showroom.
"By upgrading to Autodesk VRED software, the Australian immersion lab will offer a higher level of visual fidelity with a display that is four times HD resolution. Also, high-definition headsets will allow immersed users to experience a vehicle in full stereoscopic 3D," said Bunting.
"VRED software gives us phenomenal realism and allows us to examine aspects of the vehicle with detail we have not been able to realise in the past. In many ways, the assessments are more valuable than looking at a physical model."
The sophistication of the software opens the way for designers and engineers to consider all the ramifications of a new design in one sitting.
"The new Australian lab will be more refined, and allow us to see and understand
complex engineering issues while considering aesthetics, design and functionality. We are using VRED to incorporate light and shadow calculations in real time, which adds more depth and authenticity," said Bunting.
Ford's first immersion lab opened in Dearborn back in 2007. The new facility at Broadmeadows will make use of motion capture technology, placing the engineers in the 'scene' as the action unfolds by weaving the tracking data for the engineers in with the virtual reality objects.
Picture shows Virtual Reality Centre from August 2012
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Written byCarsales Staff
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