What are the Applications of AR in the Automotive Industry

With significant technological investments in recent years, the automotive sector is undergoing fast development. These technologies are primarily geared at improving the driving experience for users, rather than boosting manufacturers' business processes. 

 

The application of augmented reality in the automobile industry, on the other hand, can help firms streamline their processes, saving time, money, and human resources. From pre-production through after-sales, augmented reality promises to make employees' jobs easier by providing an easy and interactive manner.

 

Manufacturers have faced unforeseen obstacles in recent years, frequently at inopportune times in the manufacturing process, which have had a significant impact. Many organizations have effectively adopted new technology, such as Augmented Reality, as a means of changing how they operate and bridging the gap between experts and field workers. 

 

The introduction of modern technology is directly related to the success of automobile firms. Experts in the automobile industry have agreed in recent years that the usage of augmented reality technology will have a significant impact on the sector's future. Aside from showrooms, prototypes, automobile assembly, and maintenance augmented reality is transforming many other parts of the automotive industry.

 

( Suggested Reading -  What is Virtual Reality (VR)? )

 

So first of all let’s see what actually is this thing which we are going to talk about today in this blog, let us first understand what is “Augmented Reality” or “AR”.

 

AR is a technology that allows individuals to superimpose digital content (graphics, audio, and data) over a real-world environment. When the game Pokémon Go made it possible to interact with Pokémon superimposed on the world via a smartphone screen in 2016, AR received a lot of attention. Augmented reality has grown in popularity since then.

 

AR in the Automotive Industry

 

1. Designing and Development: Reshaping the prototyping Process.

 

The process of designing a vehicle is the most important in the industry. The success or failure of an automobile is determined by its design, which includes both interior and exterior elements. At the moment, the procedure entails a design engineer manually drawing and designing vehicle components on a computer device. 

 

After that, prototypes are built to test the components and the vehicle in real-world settings. This is a time-consuming process that necessitates a significant financial commitment in order to test many components and select the best ones.

 

Automobile manufacturers are adopting augmented reality to fine-tune new automobiles before they enter the market, from concept through preliminary testing. This is made feasible in great part by improved image software, interactive projection technology, and remote control capabilities.

 

Vehicles have traditionally had to go through comprehensive physical tests to verify that they meet all of the requirements for moving on to the next step. Technicians can use augmented reality to evaluate crucial systems and features without having to use an actual vehicle. Testers can generate real-world circumstances without a physical course or trial vehicle by establishing a responsive and realistic virtual environment.

 

Not only will this eliminate important logistical and technological bottlenecks, but designers and manufacturers will have more time and personnel to focus on creative creation and innovation as a result of this. AR planning and blueprinting can help remote and onsite workers better assign production equipment and layout instructions.

 

( Related - Manufacturing Revolution of Tesla )

 

AI computing can be used in augmented reality to automate repetitive and time-consuming operations. This is another feature that can help you save money on manpower and equipment. During the ideation phase of the product development process, improving time management by reducing unnecessary processes from the production timeline is very important.

 

Refer to this Video on how AR is used in Automotive workshops:

 

 

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Different Applications of AR In Automotives

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2. Creating a full-fledged sales experience

 

Since its inception, the automotive industry's sales procedure has been nearly the same. From the standpoint of both businesses and customers, the application of augmented reality in the automotive sector will revolutionize the way purchases and sales are made in the industry. 

 

Mobile devices are already being used to make online transactions. The car sector can take advantage of this trend by incorporating augmented reality (AR) technology into its advertising and marketing initiatives. AR technology can be used to create a "digital showroom" for businesses. 

 

Customers will be able to virtually check out and test drive several automotive models from the comfort of their own homes using this digital showroom. They are no longer required to physically visit a showroom.

 

They can check automobile choices with numerous specifications, combinations, colors, and designs using this approach.

 

The car industry's sales procedure has remained essentially unchanged since its inception. The implementation of augmented reality in the automobile sector will revolutionize the way purchases and sales are done in the industry, from the perspective of both businesses and customers. 

 

Online purchases are already taking place on mobile devices. The automobile industry may capitalize on this trend by adding augmented reality (AR) technology into its advertising and marketing efforts. Businesses can employ AR technology to create a "digital showroom." 

 

( Suggested Read - AR in Insurance Industry )

 

Customers will be able to virtually check out and test drive many vehicle models using this digital showroom from the comfort of their own homes. They are no longer required to visit a showroom in person.

 

Truly, What a fascinating Concept this is. See, How Hyundai has designed its AR-based showroom:

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3. Improvement in Employee Communication

 

Communication between specialists and field employees using augmented reality real-time collaboration is critical to increasing company efficiency. When a field worker is confronted with unique or unexpected conditions while on the job, the expert's assistance is always required. 

 

It is critical to provide speedier advice to field employees in order to boost production. Improved collaboration and communication between specialists and field employees contribute to the overall objective of reducing manufacturing process downtime.

 

Field employees' lack of knowledge can lead to equipment malfunctions, thus appropriate education is even more important in this situation for field workers to execute their tasks as efficiently as possible. AR remote assistance has shown to have a lot of promise for fieldworker training. 

 

Field employees from all over the globe are educated for factory assembly jobs before they begin their work, thanks to a real-time connection with an experienced specialist. Field employees who are properly trained on how to operate equipment provide more productive outcomes, such as fewer operator mistakes, which eventually lead to slowdowns and downtime.

 

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4. Improved Driving Experience

 

Airlines have been using augmented reality (AR) to develop digital testing scenarios and realistic testing programs for years. However, did you know that automakers use the same technologies to increase safety during the production, testing, and customer driving processes?

 

Drivers are inevitably diverted from the road when they examine the data on the GPS navigator screen or watch the vehicle's speed. A brief moment of distraction while driving might sometimes result in an accident.

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Important information being displayed on the windshield using HUDs

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As a result, displaying pertinent information immediately on the windshield in the driver's field of vision is important for enhancing safety. HUDs now display the most important information on the windshield, such as navigation directions, distance to the next turn, and speed. This information is sufficient to improve driving comfort and safety. Additionally, full-window AI head-up displays, which are scheduled to hit the market in the next few years, would reduce road dangers.

 

Consider a contemporary automobile. Multiple cameras, hundreds of sensors, microprocessors, and roughly 100 million lines of code are all part of it. Vehicles of today are technological masterpieces on wheels, thanks to cloud-connected infotainment systems.

 

Augmented reality is here to help improve navigation and entertainment systems, as well as increase car safety. It can help with navigation, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning, for example. AR-assisted dashboards, real-time traffic signs and accident warnings, and AR entertainment systems are among more examples. As a result, drivers have immediate access to information about their surroundings and road conditions.

 

( Also Read - Top Self Driving Car Companies in 2022 )

 

 

5. Streamlining maintenance and after-sales services

 

AR may be used to train personnel engaged in the after-sales and maintenance process in the same way it can be used to train staff involved in the production stage. Instead of a time-consuming manual search, technical professionals can use augmented reality (AR) devices to quickly identify machinery and equipment in need of repair by merely looking at their data and history. Interactive guides with step-by-step instructions are the most obvious approach to employ augmented reality in automobile maintenance.

 

See, How AR/VR is being used in Automotive repair training:

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A handbook like this may be downloaded to a mobile device or viewed using augmented reality glasses. It is significantly less expensive to use tablets. Augmented reality glasses, on the other hand, are more successful in reducing repair time. Employees can be given real-time information on the parts that need to be changed, the tools to use, and the replacement procedure in general. This guarantees that the repair operations are simplified, resulting in increased efficiency.

 

( Also Read -  7 Top Trends in Augmented Reality )

 

 

Summing Up

 

According to Relay Cards, In the near future, automotive and tech experts believe that AR technology will become even more flawless and accessible. The automobile industry will continue to develop linked technologies to improve the driving experience for everyone on and off the road as smart wearables replace phones and portable gadgets. In the automobile sector, augmented reality offers a wide range of applications that benefit both drivers and car manufacturers.

 

Although augmented reality may not be the ultimate great invention, it will undoubtedly have a massive impact for decades to come.