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Ford Design Studios Step Into The Future With ‘Mixed Reality’ Tech

Your next new car could be nothing more than a hologram. At least there's a chance it might have been during its design process, with Ford trialing to Microsoft HoloLens technology as an integral part of creating future vehicles. Being able to


Your next new car could be nothing more than a hologram. At least there's a chance it might have been during its design process, with Ford trialing to Microsoft HoloLens technology as an integral part of creating future vehicles.

Being able to preview a designers work on the path to production has always been a key part of the process of developing a new model, with physical proofing through the use of clay models the traditional way of not only refining aesthetics, but also making sure fit, finish, and ergonomics are on track.

A new trial at Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan design studios is looking to swap part of the process with a new ‘mixed reality’ system. The Microsoft-developed HoloLens system swaps the time and labour-intensive process of clay sculpting for a 3D representation that can be laid over an existing vehicle of clay base form.

The change allows numerous variations of design to be viewed virtually within minutes of each other instead of the days or weeks a traditional clay model might take to create.

The technology within the HoloLens headsets allows designers to move around a vehicle and analyse the design from any angle, with the wireless headsets able to process viewed objects in real time and map new details and backgrounds and provide a realistic representation of prototype designs.

Design

Kez Casey

Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.

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