The vehicle prototyping and design process relies heavily on expensive and time-consuming clay models to test and iterate. In partnership with the Microsoft HoloLens Showcase team, Vectorform worked closely with Ford to validate key use cases for the HoloLens (HL v1). Various scenarios explored how unique attributes of the HoloLens could augment the analog design process with new digital toolsets, ranging from a vehicle refresh to color and material visualization.

Project Goals

Overlay new designs on an existing car to evaluate changes

Save time and budget through collaborative assessment

Secure access and visibility of sensitive design assets

Results

Evolving traditional vehicle design methodologies with Augmented Reality

Ford Motor Company discovers the potential to elevate vehicle design with Augmented Reality, capable of reducing time and budget associated with traditional clay modeling techniques. Microsoft’s HoloLens multi-user collaboration tools offered faster review iterations as well as increased control of sensitive design assets, demonstrating an impactful digital solution to a legacy physical modeling methodology.

It’s amazing we can combine the old and the new – clay models and holograms – in a way that both saves time and allows designers to experiment and iterate quickly to dream up even more stylish, clever vehicles. Microsoft HoloLens is a powerful tool for designers as we continue to reimagine vehicles and mobility experiences in fast-changing times.

Jim Holland
Ford vice president, vehicle component and systems engineering

Guiding Principle

Make it quick and easy for the user to get immersed through natural navigation and interaction in 3D through a shared experience with others in HoloLens.

Targeted Value

The experience should demonstrate a viable alternative to the natural world, by visualizing possibilities that are only accomplished with HoloLens compared to costly and timeconsuming traditional clay modeling methods.

Proof of Concept

To demonstrate the use of holograms as a tool to evaluate multiple “what-if” scenarios for small, incremental design changes that have customer facing impact.

Vectorform delivered a functioning prototype after a 3-month onsite immersion with Microsoft, integrated with a Ford prototype vehicle and working design files.

Roles

  • UX/UI DESIGN
  • Real-time 3d software development
  • MOTION GRAPHICS - 3D asset production

Deliverables

  • Hololens (v1) Platform experience

Read About the Partnership

Vectorform and Microsoft Partner to Expand HoloLens Technology to Automotive Design.

Press Release