Simplifying the VR experience while making infrastructure more efficient with cloud technology
As a global automotive manufacturer, the Volkswagen Group is always looking for ways to improve performance and gain time efficiencies in production. In this regard, Volkswagen is building virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications that need to be scaled to different plants worldwide in a fast, easy, and affordable way to prepare and deliver 3D content throughout the entire organization. To achieve this, Volkswagen is using Amazon Web Services (AWS) to migrate specific rendering and 3D data optimization workloads to the cloud.
Challenge - AR and VR technologies hold great performance potential for production but are difficult to be scaled worldwide
Volkswagen manufactures 10 major car brands. It operates globally, with 119 production facilities in 19 European countries and 10 countries in the Americas, Asia and Africa. With around 676,000 employees worldwide. The Group’s vehicles are sold in over 150 countries. The Group uses VR technology for multiple use cases, including engineering quality assurance, employee training, and preplanning production lines.
Volkswagen is working to simplify and improve the VR experience while making its infrastructure more efficient, powerful, and flexible in the cloud. Usually, AR and VR infrastructure is very cost-intensive but at the same time it is important for improving production processes.
Solution - Automated 3D data preparation pipelines & ability testing for remote rendering
Volkswagen developed a cloud architecture on which it can accomplish two things. First: enable every use case to build their own 3D data preparation pipeline for faster, simpler, and cheaper optimization of 3D models by providing a generic pipeline framework including software and infrastructure. Second: test the ability to remotely render and stream 3D graphics to AR/VR headsets, moving away from headsets constrained by a tether to large, expensive workstations.
Volkswagen also implemented the VW Digital Realities Hub, a VR software management system that it created together with Innoactive. Using this VR content management system, Volkswagen can provide users with a catalog of available applications that support various use cases and better manage the data pipeline from storage to the application.
Key benefits – Efficient and powerful rendering in the cloud - anywhere & anytime
Reducing the amount of 3D data that the company must render and stream to VR devices is key in making the technology more accessible, efficient, and affordable. Outsourcing 3D data preparation to the cloud frees up computers that would otherwise be locked up for hours per day. It also makes the entire pipeline faster, more accessible and scalable.
Volkswagen is working to simplify and improve the VR experience while making its infrastructure more efficient, powerful, and flexible in the cloud. On AWS, Volkswagen is preparing for a future in which its employees can access historically complex AR/VR technology with ease, empowering them to use VR environments that improve productivity and collaboration from any device—anywhere and at any time.
“In the next 5 years, I want to bring many more services to the VW Digital Realities Hub and continue to make the user journey better”