VR and MR Rivian Utilises MR and VR to Boost Sustainability
The manufacturer of electric cars used Autodesk and Varjo software.
Utilising Varjo headsets and Autodesk’s virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) solutions, Rivian improved sustainability protocols.
The Autodesk VRED software, when combined with Varjo’s headgear, provides full support for virtual and mixed reality, allowing the design department to work with realistic digital models that facilitate more complex design advancements.
Leading companies in the electric car space have found that these technologies have sped up their design process while also cutting costs, waste, and emissions dramatically.
Rivian wants to attain greater sustainability and net zero emissions by 2040.
A case study on the implementation, published by Varjo, describes how these technological developments have enhanced Rivian’s design procedures:
Mixed reality enables Rivian to blend digital and physical at a much deeper level than before. As a consequence, they can handle design issues more quickly and successfully. When working with realistic, life-size digital models that have reflections and textures that precisely mirror the real world, it is easier to answer a variety of questions and so on.
Because its teams and activities are spread across many countries and need regular coordination, Rivian looked for ways to maximise remote collaboration in order to save expenses, emissions, and travel time.
Reducing the quantity of raw materials utilised in the car’s construction, including the resources needed to construct actual mock-ups, was a different obstacle. The company was thus looking for solutions and technologies that may help to streamline this process.
Rivian’s solution was the combination of Varjo and Autodesk VRED headsets.
Varjo asserts that Rivian overcame its dispersed operations’ geographic challenges with the help of Autodesk’s VR and XR innovations. Furthermore, Rivian may now employ digital models with real-time modification capabilities in lieu of raw materials like clay and wood thanks to technological advancements.
The results seem to corroborate the idea, demonstrating how Autodesk’s technology saves costs, time, and materials. For example, the completion of a clay model design involves around 150 kg of materials, costs approximately £5,000,000, and takes about a week. The same process can now be finished whenever it’s convenient, in less than an hour, thanks to virtual reality, and the company has saved a million dollars on each vehicle programme.
Trevor Greene, Lead Visualisation Design at Rivian Automotive, enumerates the primary benefits of using Autodesk VRED and Varjo. According to him, Rivian’s design time is crucial. Thanks to Varjo’s cooperation with VRED, the process has become faster and cheaper, allowing the team to integrate and iterate more quickly than it did before.
Greene continued by saying that they could use a broad range of materials and make changes knowing exactly how the project will turn out. Varjo supports Rivian in his efforts to advance the industry.
In March of this year, the design company HUSH used AR to present their architectural concepts, increasing efficiency and reducing costs.
