Augmented reality poised to make inroads
One of the smart new technologies making an impact on the automobile industry these days is augmented reality (AR), not to be confused with virtual reality.
AR is a live, direct or indirect view of the real world in which certain visual elements are enhanced using sound, video, graphics, and/or GPS data.
AR catapulted into the headlines in 2016 with the release of the Pokemon GO app, and it enjoyed another boost this September, when Apple released an augmented reality tool kit on its new iPhone and operating system.
AR technology has dabbled on the fringes of the auto industry and experts say that in the next few years, it will make serious inroads in the design, marketing, driver awareness, sales, and servicing of automobiles.
Already a few automakers are using AR technology to design vehicles, providing engineers with a more accurate picture of how a vehicle will perform on the road.
In September, Ford announced it is using Microsoft’s HoloLens mixed reality headset, which allows the automaker to prototype cars in a virtual environment.
This technology also allows designers to collaborate in new and clever ways.
The second area where AR will influence the auto industry is with test drives. It will allow car shoppers to drive (and interact with) a vehicle without having to physically be inside a vehicle.
Users will access the AR features of a vehicle through a smartphone camera. This gives consumers a view of outside the car’s window, and the rest of the car can be seen by moving the camera in different directions.
Although test driving a car using AR technology is interesting, consumers should never fully avoid test driving vehicles; no technology can exactly replicate the physical experience of sitting in, and driving, a vehicle.
When researching a car, consumers will be able to use an AR app on their smartphone and build the car of their dreams in a digital form, selecting make and model, colour, and accessories. A virtual car could be scaled and visualized as if it were parked in your own driveway.
In addition to offering virtual test drives, AR technology will eventually work its way into driving experiences. It will provide digital overlays onto a windshield, highlighting speed, navigational data, street sign graphics, lane markers, and directional arrows on the pavement.
Conveying this information to a driver (or passenger) across a windshield in real-time will be an added safety feature.
This technology may also lead to new forms of advertising — imagine an ad for a nearby pizzeria or a gas station appearing digitally across your windshield while you’re driving. I am sure there are a few drivers that will appreciate this feature and others will view it as a driving distraction.
Yet another way that AR will affect motorists is with automotive in- formation and maintenance. Automakers are already providing owner’s manuals in digital format.
Last year, Hyundai introduced an owner’s manual with AR features, allowing motorists to learn how to perform basic maintenance on their own vehicles by holding a smartphone up to the car.
If you want to learn how to replace an air filter, the AR owner’s manual will provide step-by-step instructions. Inside the vehicle, the digital manual will reveal where things are and how they work simply by pointing a smartphone.
As with most new technologies, AR will work its way into automotive advertising. Manufacturers and dealerships will utilize this technology to provide messaging in 3D format, allowing consumers to become part of an immersive experience.
AR is one of the many ways that technology is changing the way we produce, market, purchase and experience automobiles. This column represents the views and values of the TADA. Write to president@tada.ca or go to tada.ca. Larry Lantz is president of the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association and is a new-car dealer in Hanover, Ont.