Mercedes-Benz has announced at CES 2023 this week that it is utilizing NVIDIA’s Omniverse platform to design and plan manufacturing and assembly facilities as part of the company’s efforts to digitize its production process
By tapping into NVIDIA AI and metaverse technologies, the automaker is able to create feedback loops to help reduce waste, decrease energy consumption and continuously enhance quality, according to NVIDIA.
Mercedes-Benz has been working with NVIDIA to develop software-defined vehicles. Its upcoming fleets will be built on NVIDIA DRIVE Orin centralized compute, with intelligent driving capabilities tested and validated in the NVIDIA DRIVE Sim platform, built on Omniverse. NVIDIA stated that the automaker’s latest announcement infuses AI and metaverse technologies even further into the Mercedes-Benz development process with smarter, more efficient manufacturing.
Mercedes-Benz plans to start production of its new dedicated platform for electric vehicles at its plant in Rastatt, Germany. The site currently manufactures the automaker’s A- and B-Class as well as the compact SUV GLA and the all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQA.
Using Omniverse, experts from NVIDIA and Mercedes-Benz operations are setting up a “digital first” planning process for the plant that won’t disrupt the current production of compact car models at the site. This blueprint will then be rolled out to other parts of the global Mercedes-Benz production network for more agile vehicle manufacturing, according to NVIDIA.
Developing with Digital Twins
Omniverse is NVIDIA’s open 3D development platform that enables enterprises and institutions to build and operate digital twins for industrial and scientific use cases. Based on Universal Scene Description (USD), it allows enterprises and developers to construct custom 3D pipelines to break down data silos and interact with a single-source-of-truth view of their aggregated simulations.
With Omniverse, Mercedes-Benz planners can access the digital twin of the factory, reviewing and optimizing the plant as needed. Every change can be quickly evaluated and validated in the virtual world, then implemented in the real world to ensure maximum efficiency and ergonomics for factory workers.
Additionally, Mercedes-Benz can synchronize plant locations anywhere in the world by connecting Omniverse with its in-house MO360 Data Platform. This capability streamlines operations across the company’s global production network and enables over-the-air software updates to manufacturing equipment.
For more information on NVIDIA’s Omniverse platform for digital process planning, please visit the company’s website.
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Image / video credit: NVIDIA
