New virtual reality design evaluation system for Hyundai Group

Kia Motors Corporation and the Hyundai Motor Company have debuted a new Virtual Reality (VR) design evaluation system at the brands' global design headquarters.

The new system, introduced to the Namyang Research and Development Centre in South Korea, demonstrates a heightened focus on enhancing vehicle development processes through the implementation of VR technology.

The technology uses several development applications, enabling teams of designers and engineers to carry out vehicle design quality assessments and development verification processes, and is part of the $17.4 million investment in the Namyang Research and Development Centre announced by Kia and Hyundai in March 2019. 

VR headsets allow the brands' vehicle designers and engineers to virtually enter developmental simulations, with 36 motion tracking sensors detecting and tracking the locations and movement of all users, enabling each to participate accurately in real time. The new VR design evaluation system can currently support up to 20 simultaneous users, enabling greater cross-team collaboration than ever before.

Kia plans to expand the design assessment capabilities of the facility for developmental use on future models and additionally plans to establish remote VR design assessment capabilities that will enable real-time virtual collaboration between each brand's design centres in Europe, America, China and India, along with an enhanced virtual development process through the implementation of augmented reality.

Where previous quality verification processes began with the manufacturing of a test vehicle, this process can now be accomplished virtually, during the pre-production stage.

Quality verification using virtual models and techniques in early design stages will ultimately enhance the quality control of real-world vehicles.

Through the complete implementation of the virtual development processes throughout research and development and pre-production stages, Kia and Hyundai anticipates a 20% reduction in vehicle development times and a 15% reduction in annual development costs.