At GTC '16 ZeroLight and Audi collaborated as strategic visualisation partners on a joint-presence at the show, which brought together the biggest and brightest ideas in visual computing from virtual reality and self-driving cars to deep learning and artificial intelligence.
The joint Audi-ZeroLight team included Thomas Zuchtriegel, project manager with Audi Digital Retail Solutions, Marcus Kühne, Project Lead: Audi VR Experience & Immersive Technologies, Audi AG and ZeroLight CEO Darren Jobling.
The show allowed attendees to use the latest achievement of Audi's ZeroLight-powered digital retail solutions, The Audi Walking VR Experience as well as hear a talk on its challenges and development.
Our work with ZeroLight has led to the creation of one of the most sophisticated and intuitive digital automotive retail solutions in the world.
Marcus Kühne
Project Lead: Audi VR Experience & Immersive TechnologiesAudi AG
The Audi-ZeroLight booth showcased the Audi Walking VR Experience, allowing visitors to explore a variety of current Audi models, as well as the historic 1930s Auto Union Silver Arrow racing car using the HTC Vive.
The custom-built booth allowed the Vive's wires to drop through from the ceiling, creating an easier and safer user experience while an embedded high resolution screen displayed what the user was seeing in real-time, allowing the audience to preview the experience before using it.
One of the features showcased during the show was the virtual reality geometry clashing solution, which see's parts of the car to glow orange with an "X-Ray" effect as the user gets close to, or intersects with, parts of the car. This kind of visual feedback from the virtual world proved to be key in creating a sense of context and awareness during the experience.
In the joint Audi-ZeroLight presentation Audi delivered an engaging view on how their digital retail approach is changing the car buying process, which has remained largely the same for the last 100 years. The revolution of the car buying journey that their initiatives are making possible are empowered by real-time 3D visualisation solutions provided by ZeroLight. CEO Darren Jobling outlined the key advances in the company's technology and capabilities that allow solutions such as The Audi Walking VR Experience to showcase a fully interactive and configurable 5 million polygon car with advanced lighting and effects in headsets like the HTC Vive at 90Hz with sub 20ms latency.
