This article was taken from the December issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online How the Jaguar Land Rover headquarters tests new vehicles, before a prototype is even built
It's a triumph of bits over atoms. Jaguar's virtual reality Cave (computer-aided virtual environment) at its HQ in Gaydon, Warwickshire, lets engineers test new vehicles in wind tunnels, drive them for kilometres in hard terrain and design mechanical components -- all without building a single physical prototype.
The Cave comprises four acrylic screens and uses eight Sony SRX-R105 projectors to create an image with 4,096x 2,160 resolution -- more than four times the definition of a 1,080p HD TV. Two projectors on each wall create the stereoscopic perspective required to produce 3D imaging.
A seat locates the user in the "car", but it's also possible to move around with each movement tracked by six cameras. "We installed the system in 2008," says Brian Waterfield, virtual-reality manager for Jaguar Land Rover. "It cost £2 million, but it paid for itself within a year by reducing the number of physical parts we build."
The system can simulate the effect of different drivers in the cockpit driving the car around a virtual city scape. This lets the team optimise the ergonomics and packaging before committing to a prototype. They can also "fly through" a vehicle's engine to see the build and servicing requirements. "We're also experimenting with augmented reality, which will allow us to place the virtual car in a real environment," says Waterfield. "The Cave is only the beginning."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
