Thanks to virtual reality, anyone can now feel for themselves what it’s like standing in the pits of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 team.
Motorsport fans and visitors to the Formula 1 Grand Prix at the F1 Paddock in Silverstone got to be the first to do just this: While the British Grand Prix was running in the background, they were able to admire the immersive replica of the original Aston Martin F1 garage in Silverstone with the help of virtual reality (VR) headset and configure a model of their choice from the iconic British brand’s vehicle portfolio.
Together with Aston Martin, the management and IT consultancy company MHP presented the new VR experience at the Silverstone Grand Prix – a 3D space in which interested parties can select, design and – statically – test one of Aston Martin’s vehicle models in a realistic way. For example, it was possible to virtually climb into the specially configured vehicle, operate cockpit functions and design the interior at the same time.
Florian Langer, partner at MHP: “The new Aston Martin VR Experience offers users a customized and virtual product experience because, on the one hand, they can playfully and quickly navigate between different views, including the Aston Martin F1 garage. On the other hand, in combination with a VR headset, the exterior and interior can be viewed and designed in a level of detail that no other configurator can offer.”
The Virtual Experience based on Meta Quest 3, a virtual reality headset from Meta, has now been tested for the first time at the Formula 1 Grand Prix and is to be used at exclusive Aston Martin events in the future. The online configurator with which the virtual experience is implemented comes from MHP and has been in use for the DB12 Coupé and DB 12 Volante, DBX707, Vantage, DBS770 Ultimate Coupé, DBS770 Ultimate Volante and Valour models since 2021.
Virtual design of new Aston Martin special edition
The configurator has now also been launched for the new Aston Martin special edition DBX707 AMR24. It is a tribute to Aston Martin’s Aramco Formula 1 team and its achievements at the peak of the pinnacle of motorsport.
The luxury SUV features a new and technologically advanced interior with luxurious design features inspired by Formula 1 aesthetics and functionality. Using the MHP configurator, the vehicle can be configured in three different colours and exclusive AMR (Aston Martin Racing) Lime or Trophy Silver highlights on the sculpted body kit. A particular highlight is the cockpit – a combination of luxury and performance, based on a racing car from Aston Martin’s Formula 1 lineup, the “AMR24 F1” and the Official Medical Car of F1.
Patrick Dittrich, Manager at MHP explains: “We bring the Formula 1 world of Aston Martin to the customer in their living room or at the dealership. Everything can be designed in real time in front of a selection of various photorealistic 3D backgrounds. Finally, the vehicle can also be viewed via a 3D stream in which the user can freely rotate the vehicle and view it from all sides in 3D.”
This is made possible first and foremost with the help of MHP’s Content Platform (ECP), which utilizes the Unreal Engine popular in the creation of video game and offered by the platform developer Epic Games. Google Cloud is used to ensure that the product visualization can actually run in real time in a stable, secure and scaled manner. This setup ensures that the application is also made available online to a large number of customers and interested parties as a live 3D stream.
More traffic and more sales
The configurator helps to create a new, more innovative and personalized experience that connects Aston Martin customers and enthusiasts even more closely with the brand. The solution has been proven to increase traffic and sales. Prospective customers generally try out more configurations and ultimately decide in favour of more extra options. For Aston Martin, this can both increase potential sales per vehicle and emotionalize the buying experience for customers.
In addition to sales, the ECP platform can also have a positive impact on the total cost of ownership. This applies if it replaces the conventional production of images. This usually involves an agency carrying out pre-rendering. This new platform completely eliminates these costs. On the other hand, operation of the solution in a cloud does entail streaming costs. Overall, however, the total operating costs are significantly lower in the vast majority of cases – often by up to 50 percent.
Quelle:
https://www.themanufacturer.com/articles/virtual-immersion-in-the-formula-1-world-of-aston-martin/
