Developing car HMI of tomorrow with game engines
The automotive industry is currently facing one of the biggest accelerations in its history. Technology is evolving faster everyday and products are more complex than ever. Automakers are under constant pressure to unveil new and better models with the newest technology. OEMs need to transform not only their products into the new millennium but also their design process.
One of the ways is using technology that has been here for years, used in a different industry for a different purpose. Traditionally game engines were used to develop games, not being good enough for much else, but in recent years computer technology made huge leaps in the development offering lifelike visualizations and believable physics systems. Game engine platforms like Unreal Engine or Unity can deliver real-time 3D visualizations and render them in virtual reality as well as give designers collaborative space to quickly iterate on their work.
Why game engines?
There used to be always a compromise when you wanted to demonstrate your work to stakeholders. You either went with 2D visualizations that lack depth, basic 3D visualizations that lacked interactivity or expensive and time-consuming hardware demos. Using game engine to build your prototype tools gives you advantage of each of those as well as the way to quickly iterate on the design and demonstrate them anywhere. With stunning visualizations and infinite customizability, you can show the newest design anywhere and with VR set you get immersive and interactive experience that mimics experience from real product.
Interactive prototype with ease
Platforms like Unreal Engine or Unity give designers powerful tools to review, iterate and collaborate on their work. Two designers can sit in the virtual space, testing experience they crafted just minutes after finishing it. The whole design process is accelerated as prototypes don’t take hours or days to prepare but can be done multiple times in a single workday. Effectiveness and time-saving aspect isn’t the only advantage you get, designers get much more thorough feedback and are given a tool to explore their design to the tiniest detail. Ending up not only with quicker development time but also more thought-through product.
Developing User Interfaces with game engines
One of the biggest boost in development can be achieved in the field of automotive UI and UX design. Through extensive prototyping tools, that game engines offer, design teams can easily view their work in the real-time 3D environment. With ease lead designers can test if the look & feel fits the car interior and rapidly improve their designs. UX researchers can test their hypothesis effortlessly and perform usability tests rapidly and without complicated HW set-ups driving costs of UX testing down. With high-fidelity car environment precision and attention to detail can be brought to next level. Lastly presenting outputs to board members and clients is easier than ever. Offering key stakeholders access to effective way to make decisions quicker and with plenty of confidence in results.
Proven track record
Although using real-time 3D platforms is just becoming trendy both Unreal Engine and Unity have been collaborating with major automotive players proving this is not just some design fad. Game engines are used from design work to digital showrooms and will expand their usage in industry.
For example BMW and MINI’s mixed reality lab developed for their custom hardware an effective prototyping tool to demonstrate HMI in use. Using Unreal Engine, VR and certain physical parts of cars they crafted custom high-fidelity experience where they can rapidly demonstrate their designs. Saving overall design time and leave more time for precise improvements and iterations.
Inspired? Want to learn more? Look out for next Build: for Automotive 2020 events and meet leading figures of industry, attend lecturers about Automotive design future and learn from other people experiences. Events are packed with case studies from industry leading Automakers like Audi, Nissan or Mercedes. More at https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/events/build-for-automotive-2020
