How Unreal Engine is changing the automotive industry completely

If you're not familiar, Unreal Engine is a game engine and development platform created by Epic Games. Primarily, It is used to build and design video games, simulations, and other interactive 3D content. The engine provides a suite of tools for developers and 3d artists and is widely used in the game industry and has also been adopted for non-gaming applications such as architectural visualization and product design.

For the purpose of this article, let's focus on the use of Unreal Engine in automotive design: car manufacturers use it to create detailed and interactive 3D visualizations of their vehicles, allowing them to explore different design options and make changes in real-time.

Its versatility and powerful visualization capabilities make it an essential tool for product designers and engineers who want to bring their designs to life.

You might be asking "Why Unreal Engine is better than any other 3D tool in the market?"

Well, the technology itself is very surreal, the velocity and precision with that you can render things are unprecedented. Like all new technology, the different uses for it are going to play a big role. Here are some of the main advantages that make Unreal Engine a popular choice for interactive 3D applications:

1. Real-time visualization: Unreal Engine allows designers and artists to create real-time interactive 3D experiences and see the results of their work instantly. This makes it possible to iterate and make changes, as we said before, IN REAL TIME, which can save time and improve the overall quality of the final product.
2. High-quality graphics: Unreal Engine uses cutting-edge graphics technology and is capable of creating high-quality, photorealistic 3D environments and characters.
3. Cross-platform support: Unreal Engine supports a wide range of platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and consoles, making it a versatile tool for creating multi-platform experiences.
4. Strong community: Unreal Engine has a large and active community of developers, artists, and designers who contribute to the platform and share resources, tutorials, and best practices.
5. Powerful tools: Unreal Engine comes with a range of tools for developers and artists, including a visual editor, scripting language, physics simulation, and network multiplayer functionality.

Human-machine interfaces

For like a century we’ve been used to analog interfaces on our cars. More recently, in the past 10 years or so, we’ve been introduced to digital interfaces. The problem is that those interfaces have only mimicked the analog UI, and most of them lack innovation losing an opportunity to explore the new technology.

During this transition, we’ve seen poorly developed UIs, poor hardware, etc. Now, we not only can render the blueprint of the car instantly but also, customize the lighting, seats, AC, and many other features of the car like sport mode or turbo mode. The video below walks us through to understand how fascinating this game-change technology works and some of its applications.

Human-machine interfaces are one of the next great frontiers for the automotive industry and with Unreal Engine, car brands are creating immersive experiences for their customers, you could say they turn cars into futuristic spaceships, It won’t fly (per se) but for sure you feel the technology around you.

Not to mention, the whole gamification movement could turn your driving experience way more fun and safe. All of this, not only on a Tesla or some fancy electric car. This creates a new standard in the whole car industry. More than ever, design and technology have a major role in the future of the automotive industry. Check below some use cases of this technology.

BMW’s Real-Time Remote Working

The BMW iX was the first car developed using the game engine. With it, engineers and designers could very quickly create 3D renderings that take account of light effects and light reflections on different materials, among other things.

This tool can also be used in factories, where it is already used. For example, the G20 3 Series assembly line was created with the help of Unreal Engine. The individual workstations for the production of the car were recreated using virtual reality, to test new work and manufacturing processes in a realistic 3D environment.

This allowed the company to adjust various processes beforehand, to make sure everything was as streamlined as possible. The same is being done now for the upcoming i4.

BMW and Epic Games created the so-called Emotion Virtual Experience which allows vehicles to be experienced first-hand in virtual reality. With EVE, customers can see a 3D representation of any BMW and MINI model, exactly as they configured them, down to the last detail, thanks to VR glasses. Customers can change out various parts and colors in real-time, to make sure they get the perfect combination for them.

Audi choose UE to create a digital showroom

As one of the automotive pioneers in using real-time technology, Audi is already on the third evolution of their digital configurator and showroom.

Developing the project alongside visualization specialists Mackevision, Audi put in place a team of Unreal Engine developers in-house. By building up its own team’s UE competency, Audi was able to have a more direct influence on the development of the assets and code.

Volvo Cars’ path to zero collisions

A world without collisions? Volvo Cars sure hope so, and they are working on everything from automation to the dash to create it. See how sensor technology and a new Unreal Engine-based HMI are supporting this aim in the video below.

There you have it 🎯

I hope this article helps you to understand the impact of Unreal Engine in the automotive industry. I’ll be releasing more content on automotive digital experiences soon so don’t forget to subscribe and if you like this article, hit clap and share it with someone passionate about cars and technology!