Audi is bringing virtual reality entertainment developed by tech entertainment startup Holride to its car. According to Audi starting next summer, passengers will be able to sit in the back and use virtual reality glasses to have various multimedia formats such as games, films and interactive content. The virtual content should adapt to the car’s driving movements in real time.
From June 2022, Audi models that will be supplied with the latest update of the MIB 3 modular infotainment system will be compatible with Holride. The innovation, the companies specify, will concern a dozen models of the German house, specifically the Audi A4 , A5 , A6 , A7 Sportback, A8 , Q5 , Q7, Q8 , e-tron ed e-tron GT. The new technology will be officially unveiled at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in the United States.
Entertainment in the back with “Elastic content”
Holride is a technology that adapts virtual contents to the driving movements of the car in real time. This enables the so-called “Elastic Content”, ie what is displayed in the VR viewer adapts to the driving movements, the time and the route. “If the car takes a right turn, the spaceship in the imaginary world also flies right, for example. If the vehicle accelerates, the spaceship accelerates as well, ”says Audi. In addition to video games, the German manufacturer emphasizes the possibility that users can also watch films.
Motion-synchronized travel through virtual worlds should also reduce the risk of travel sickness. To use Holride, an approved virtual reality headset must be paired with the vehicle. The connection between the viewer and MIB 3 system is done wirelessly via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface.
Although in its statement Audi points out that Holride is a resource available only to passengers, especially for those who sit in the back seat of the car, the truth is that the startup does not only aim to offer entertainment to a part of the travelers. It has an ally on the horizon that, over time, will be able to give a new perspective to its use: self-driving cars. As automation progresses and drivers stop paying attention to the road, the manufacturer recognizes that “new paths” will open up. “When drivers no longer have to focus on driving, they can shift their focus to work, reading, watching movies or playing games”says the German house.
The new technology will debut in Germany, England and the US market. Other markets will follow later. Startup Holride first presented its solution at CES 2019.