Seymourpowell
Seymourpowell VR
Seymourpowell virtually drawing a car design.
Design and innovation group, Seymourpowell is showcasing a new, collaboration-friendly virtual reality (VR) design technique at the London Motor Show.
One of the UK’s biggest motor exhibits, the London Motor Show takes place from May 4th to May 7th and presents over 150 new vehicles, legends of the motor industry and the newest innovations. Among those innovations is Seymourpowell’s VR methods, which are said to respond to the challenges the automotive industry still faces to this day.
Coded from scratch in-house, the software enables designers to consider the aesthetics, performance and engineering of a vehicle. The core functionality of Seymourpowell’s VR technique stemmed from the need to be able to create sketches, curves and surfaces, but also to allow several designers influence a project at the same time.
The company is delivering to the market a solution which does that, giving access to multiple people simultaneously. This is enabled through Augmented Reality (AR) and does not require the need for additional headsets. Collaborators can link up to a single headset with a mobile and tablet app, allowing them to see exactly what their partner wearing the VR headset can see.
Seymourpowell
Seymourpowell VR PR
Richard Seale demonstrating how Seymourpowell's new VR technique works
“Our new approach to designing in VR radically streamlines the design process, allowing designers, engineers, and marketing teams to collaborate in exciting new ways,” said Richard Seale, lead automotive designer at Seymourpowell. “It lets designers create designs in 3D and at any scale from the very start of the design process. I believe this is the future of design.”
As well as providing an efficient, networked platform for designers to collaborate, the tool’s other key capabilities include increased flexibility, a streamlined design process, and new opportunities for the customer. Its added flexibility is made possible by a powerful VR sketching functionality, which allows designers to easily duplicate designs, draw complex spline curves, and work within industry safety regulations. Streamlining the design process, the tool enables a team to work from the same data created in a shared space – this instead of converting sketches into different formats. Meanwhile, customers who seek bespoke or custom features are afforded new opportunities as they have the chance to virtually experience a car’s design before making a purchase.
Although, Seymourpowell is primarily pitching this tool as an innovative design technique for the automotive industry with its presence at the London Motor Show this week, the company believes it could go on to have a wider impact.
“This is the ultimate design tool,” Seale adds. “It blurs the boundaries between styling, 3D CAD, clay modelling and engineering.”
