Ford in Australia Showcases New Virtual Reality Centre

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The new Ford immersive Vehicle Environment (FiVE) lab features advanced technology similar to the company’s upgraded lab in Dearborn, Michigan, enabling Ford designers and engineers in Australia to better collaborate and work together in real time with the global product development team

The FiVE lab uses motion-capture technology and stereoscopic 3D displays identical to those used in the animation and gaming industry to provide designers and testers with a life-like experience of virtual vehicles

The new lab recognises the ongoing strategic importance of the Asia Pacific Product Development team’s lead role in global vehicle programmes

Ford is an industry leader in using photo-realistic immersive virtual-reality tools. This has allowed designers and ergonomists to assess the human machine interface, streamlining subsequent development processes, such as physical prototype builds

Previous generation VR technology has already been used in Australia to assist in the development of six different vehicle programmes to be launched globally and in Asia Pacific in 2014 and 2015, as well as supporting numerous global programmes

Melbourne, Australia, August 21, 2014 – Ford today unveiled its new Ford immersive Vehicle Environment (FiVE) lab in Melbourne, which will enable designers to build a full-size virtual car years before a customer gets behind the wheel.


“Ford was one of the earliest adopters of this type of virtual reality in the development process, and the quality of our new FiVE lab shows how far Ford is willing to go for craftsmanship and attention to detail when designing its vehicles,” said Peter Bunting, digital innovation manager, Ford Asia Pacific. “This technology is a crucial element in bringing high-quality vehicles to customers all over the world.”
Earlier this year, Ford Australia initiated a second round of investment into its Virtual Reality Centre, which was originally launched in 2012.
The comprehensive overhaul updated the lab’s hardware and software, including a move to new photo-realistic virtual-reality software (VRED), and greatly expanded motion-tracking equipment equivalent to that used in the animation and gaming industry.
The FiVE lab also significantly expanded its physical footprint. The new space is now large enough to amply “fit” an entire virtual car, enabling designers to perform “walk-arounds” and experience the virtual model much like a consumer would experience a car at a dealership.
“Sometimes you have to step back to gain that special perspective, as any car buyer knows well. The larger lab gives us the extra space we need to get the whole experience, from the interior details to the exterior styling,” said Bunting.

New technology, new capabilities
The new VRED software renders the completely immersive virtual space in ultra-high definition – four times the resolution of HD. Using upgraded computing facilities, new high-definition headsets will deliver a full low-latency stereoscopic 3D experience to users, creating a virtual world with a level of realism previously unattainable in the lab.
“The FiVE lab enables virtual modelling with a whole new level of detail. We can see through and inside the vehicle’s structure to really inspect how it all works together, from the overall architecture to the mechanical and electrical systems,” said Bunting. “This lets us combine engineering issues with the aesthetic in one comprehensive setting.”
Additional upgrades to the FiVE lab include:

- A new 4K-resolution display increases the level of detail at which engineers can inspect issues that arise throughout vehicle development. The actual movement of designers and engineers inspecting the virtual vehicles aligns with virtual movement, and the system allows Ford workers globally to analyse and inspect the same virtual vehicles with extreme visual fidelity in real time. The lab’s upgraded software provides a virtual experience almost indistinguishable from a real vehicle

- The expanded “Immersive Virtual Space” has nearly doubled the motion-tracking equipment used to track the user’s movements in real time. This technology is identical to that used in the animation and gaming industry to capture and transfer actual movement onto a movie or game

- Upgraded computers and graphics cards help create a low-latency stereoscopic 3D display through a sophisticated virtual-reality headset. As users move through the virtual world they can interact with the virtual vehicle the same way they would in real life. The headset even provides a view into the physical world, so the user can see his or her body in relation to the virtual data.

Virtual models with real-world results
Ford’s immersive virtual-reality programme began in 2006 in Dearborn to test different design, styling and ergonomic options. This allowed designers and engineers to make improvements to new vehicles before reaching the physical prototyping stage, after which even slight adjustments can be expensive and time consuming. This precision-centric approach has improved the quality and aesthetic of vehicles across Ford’s global line-up, and is already evident in design improvements that have made it into full-scale production.


On the all-new Ford Mustang, for example, engineers viewing the vehicle in the virtual-reality setting discovered a way to alter the fit and finish of the dashboard and improve ergonomics for both right-hand and left-hand drive. Eliminating exposed fasteners enabled designers to craft a more refined, finished look, bringing a new level of craftsmanship to the interior of the world’s original pony car.


During the development phases of the all-new Ford Escort and an upcoming global SUV, Ford Asia Pacific engineers and designers carried out extensive ergonomic studies to ensure that the layout of the interior controls was logical and convenient for the customer. Immersive visualisation and interfacing from the customer’s perspective – in a virtual driver’s seat – allows engineers and designers to validate and ensure that functions and controls are in optimal locations throughout the cockpit.

Regional hub, One Ford
Ford’s global network of virtual reality centres comprises two primary FiVE labs – the facilities in Melbourne and Dearborn – and collaboration centres in Germany, China, India, Brazil and Mexico. So far this year, the technology has been used to verify more than 150,000 details on more than 200 virtual vehicle prototypes built in the global FiVE labs.
“Our One Ford plan is to develop vehicles with stronger global appeal,” said Bunting. “This technology helps achieve that goal by assisting our designers and engineers to collaborate in real time on an international scale – while also improving vehicle quality.”
The system allows engineers and designers around the world to quickly transition between different virtual design proposals to examine and select the best option. Making use of sophisticated shadows and real-world lighting conditions, the process ensures that all production vehicles have been painstakingly reviewed for usability, consistency and design effects.
“We can work virtually on the same product, side-by-side, with people all over the world,” said Todd Willing, design director, Ford Asia Pacific. “Using the 4K-resolution displays in the FiVE lab and design studio, engineers and designers work together – here in Melbourne and with their counterparts elsewhere – to hone every aspect of Ford vehicles.”