Porsche Innovates Macan Auto Show Demo Experience with VR/MR Technology

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(XR Navigation Network January 29, 2024) For anyone who walked into a recent tech seminar focused on the new all-electric Porsche Macan, you'd think you'd inadvertently stepped onto the set of a new sci-fi movie or a futuristic performance art scene. That's understandable, as you'll see groups of engineersMetaQuest 3 and walk freely with grace, hovering to maneuver and exchange critiques.

In the past, and for the most part even today, presentations at media events have consisted of rows of journalists scribbling down notes while engineers click through countless PowerPoint slides. But with the rise of immersive technology, this tradition is quietly changing, and Porsche is at the forefront of the times.

Porsche is no stranger to XR technology. A few years ago, the Taycan AR Event app showcased details of Porsche's first all-electric sports car, the Taycan, inside and out via iPhone-based augmented reality.

现在，保时捷正在应用混合现实技术来创造一个更加身临其境和更加信息丰富的体验：在一个三维环境中，人们可以自由走动，与虚拟对象交互，甚至可以从世界各地远程加入其他用户。

Digital and reality begin to intermingle: mixed reality

Mixed reality and virtual reality technologies are essential tools for the metaverse. While a truly interoperable metaverse is still quite a way off, Porsche has made great strides in demonstrating its potential. Utilizing headsets with see-through capabilities, users are able to see their real environment, as well as a virtual 3D asset. this allows the immersion of VR to be combined with the ability to locate oneself in real physical space.

Some people don't like the idea of wearing a VR headset in a room with other people because it's an isolating experience, so one of the significant benefits of MR is the ability to allow you to stay in touch with the reality of the world around you.This application of MR is able to bring the virtual world to the user, rendering it directly in the environment around them. What's more, it virtually eliminates the need for cut-out models or other entities to be manufactured and transported around the world, thus highlighting the huge potential for cost and resource savings.

Traditional content, innovative delivery

For example, physical props are valuable tools when explaining the technical features of a new model. But a superior advantage of MR 3D models is their maneuverability. The ability to perceive a virtual model from different angles and perspectives yields a deeper, faster level of understanding than simply viewing an image on a screen. Content becomes more meaningful to the user, and their attention can be easily directed to the area being discussed. For example, specific components can be isolated for emphasis or switched to a dissected model view to see previously hidden elements. This provides the detail and insight of an in-depth technical slide show, as well as the perspective and visual impact of a physical exhibit.

In a recent workshop, one of the engineers and speakers had this to say, "Presenting in this way feels like a natural fit. The story line of the content is just like a traditional presentation. Your tips and notes can be placed on top of virtual signage that only the presenter can see, and you can click on life-size immersive 3D animations that are not limited by the screen. You stand in the presentation and are surrounded by it."

invaluable resource

There was a simultaneous positive reaction from journalists, who praised the realism and resolution of the virtual elements. Expressions of amazement and joy were particularly prominent for members of the media wearing the headset: smiles appeared in unison as the potential of the technology became clear with the virtual elements on display. Alex Goy, a British automotive journalist, said, "I think it's an invaluable resource. The demo is almost tangible, you can walk around in it, you can reach out and touch it, and it's all to scale, so you get a much better impression of the product, what it contains and what you can do with it, which is something that you can never do with a 2D display or screen graphics."

looking forward to tomorrow

While Porsche is an early adopter of this technology in the automotive industry, it's not the only one that understands its potential. According to P&S Intelligence, by 2030, the technology's globalmarketThe value is expected to reach $1.5 trillion, and $16.5 billion of that comes from the automotive industry. Younger market segments currently make up the vast majority of meta-universe users: in the survey, 56% of Gen Z respondents said they would be more likely to buy a car if they had the opportunity to experience it first. However, as digital affinity increases across all age groups, so does their perceived relevance to the meta-universe experience.

Porsche concludes, "Now that the use of MR technology has been proven, Porsche will continue to capitalize on its potential and further enhance the demo experience in a number of ways, including hosting events that allow guests to attend from different locations; increasing immersion with more complex models and animations; facilitating more physical-virtual asset interactions; and much more. This prototype demo is just the tip of the iceberg."