Virtual reality (VR) is the latest craze in the game and business world. Creating an entire world around them engrosses players in whatever game or experience they have in the VR. Audi has come up with a way to make car rides less boring by incorporating VR that utilizes the movements of the vehicle to determine how things move within the VR.
PSA, this device is meant to be used by passengers in the vehicle, not the drivers who have a very important duty of getting everyone to their destination safely.
The technology is being demonstrated at CES 2019 in an Audi e-Tron electric SUV. Visitors to the show got a demo of the software by wearing regular VR goggles and watching a VR audio-visual experience as they were driven around. Passengers were treated to Marvel’s Avengers: Rocket’s Rescue Run, developed by Disney Games and Interactive Experiences, which simulated being on a spaceship in an asteroid field.
When the car accelerated, turned, or hit the brakes, the ship in the game would mimic those movements, giving physical sensation to the game in addition to the visuals. The one downside is that the visuals are dictated by the movements that then create the sensations, not the other way around. So if you’re stuck in traffic, you may be stuck in the asteroid field.
The company is hopeful that the technology will be available for the public within 3 years and is looking to offer a development kit to automakers and content producers so that the system could be used for other games and interactive movies.