Virtual Reality in Design: Benefits and Applications

Explore the benefits and applications of using virtual reality in design, specifically in the automotive industry. Discover how Ford utilizes VR to reduce costs, improve collaboration, and enhance the design process. Learn about the Share The Road campaign and how VR is used to increase empathy and improve road safety.

 Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment.
 Virtual Reality’s most immediately-recognizable component is the head-mounted display
(HMD). Human beings are visual creatures, and display technology is often the single biggest
difference between immersive Virtual Reality systems and traditional user interfaces.
How Is VR Used in practice?
Designers in Ford often used VR systems in the office. The virtual reality environment allows
the designer to observe the vehicle model without having to create a physical one. In addition,
the designed car can be placed under different environments to assess the car's attractiveness.
Design and engineering flaws can also be easily recognized and corrected in virtual reality
environments.
Using virtual reality in design also helps car manufacturers reduce the cost of car testing when
cars are saved and edited right in the virtual reality environment instead of adding actual
manufacturing costs - including manufacturing materials, manpower and working time.
In the virtual reality environment, designers will meet through VR offices, give design ideas,
demonstrate structural changes. The car model can be scaled, magnified, or even edited right in
the discussion, with no extra time. This virtual design system uses the same data source as the
data commonly used to build models in the traditional way. From these data, engineers will
create a digital version that simulates the shape of the car at all angles in 3D space.
They will then use headsets and hand controls to “enter” this 3-dimensional space under an
avatar – like players in online games, making it easy for colleagues to recognize each other and
give suggestions to complete the drawing better.
“Using virtual reality, we were able to get closer to the car, capture the surface, the highlights in
both the body and the cabin of the car, thereby bringing the vehicle to life,” said Mr. Piaskowski.
make more accurate judgments than when looking at two-dimensional drawings on paper.
The Share The Road campaign

the Share The Road campaign is the WheelSwap virtual reality experience. The technology is
called "using VR to increase empathy" and applies to both the driver and the occupants of the
vehicle.
Accordingly, with a VR device, the occupants of the vehicle will accurately feel the driver's
feelings, understand their emotions, perspectives and attitudes when driving the vehicle, thereby
making it easier to empathize with the driver. change the way they behave towards each other
along the way.
Result
It is known that more than 1,200 people have participated in this trial in 5 European countries.
70% of them said they almost completely "played" the driver and decided to change their riding
habits.
Behavioral scientist Dan Berry, comments: "There's no more effective way to gauge someone's
point of view than by putting yourself in their shoes. Empathy is an incredibly powerful emotion.
This Ford campaign not only showcases new technology, but also highlights the need for equal
respect and responsibility, which can improve road safety for everyone."