Volvo will use Unreal Engine to bring new experiences to future electric vehicles

Volvo is the next automaker to take advantage of the graphical power of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine. The Swedish company said it will partner with the creator of Fortnite to bring “realistic photo graphic effects” into its next-generation electric vehicle (EV) models.

Follow TheVerge, The key to the Volvo-Epic partnership will be the “human-machine interface” (HMI), which from the driver’s perspective means the way the vehicle owner interacts. with the software in their own car. Volvo says Epic will help build a new platform that will allow Volvo engineers to design software that improves HMIs, while maintaining the safety ethos that has built Volvo’s reputation around the world. automobile market.

“This technology gives us the ability to create very high-quality, responsive graphic effects that we can customize and insert multiple layers of information, creating realistic models when needed.” – according to Thomas Stovicek, UX director at Volvo Cars. “All in all, it’s all about creating a new generation of HMIs for our customers.”

Safety will be a core aspect of the new partnership. Over the years, Volvo has built a reputation for its innovative design and safety features, and this announcement of a partnership with Epic is seen as a reaffirmation of that direction. Volvo wants to use the Unreal Engine to render and transmit what the car’s external sensors, like cameras, radar, and in the future lidar, are seeing to the driver, without overloading them with information. . “Those things can be very difficult to handle” – Stovicek added.

Other pieces of information, like navigation and battery life, as well as their appearance, including lights, colors, and dynamic graphics, will also be improved like Unreal Engine.

The Unreal Engine is the main engine used by Epic to create realistic 3D graphics, first demonstrated in the first-person shooter game Unreal in 1998. Since then, it has been used in games of all genres, and have applications in other industries, most notably the film and television industries.

The auto industry is a particularly attractive target for Epic Games, mainly because cars are easier to model than humans (this is also shown by the widespread popularity of racing games). ). Most recently, Epic revealed that it is working with GMC to provide HMI software for the Hummer EV 2022 electric pickup.

But the real reason Epic is paying more and more attention to the auto industry is simpler: modern cars are primarily designed with software and are equipped with advanced computer systems, with information systems. Infotainment controlled via touch screen and digital interface. And the Unreal Engine is a great platform to build software on, so why not put it in the car?

“New hardware in cars is becoming more and more attractive, and the car as a new platform should be kept in mind.” according to Heiko Wenczel, director of Epic Games’ Detroit lab. He added that “imagine what game features could actually be brought into the user experience in a car”

Neither Volvo nor Epic have revealed which models will be pioneered with software using the Unreal Engine, or when customers will see those features appear on future Volvo models.

Volvo says it expects to sell 600,000 EVs by the middle of this decade, and will build a battery factory in Europe by 2026. The company also said it is working with Swedish partner Northvolt to build development of next-generation batteries with higher energy storage density, aimed at integrating into automobiles. The new battery, which could launch after 2025, will help the car go further on a single charge – up to 1,006km – and have a much faster charge time.

Volvo will also turn to in-house software development to speed up new software updates, as well as system fixes, for its vehicles. The new operating system, VolvoCars.OS, will be integrated into next-generation EV models and give them the ability to drive unattended on the highway.

The new operating system will act as a “parachute system”, managing all of the vehicle’s subsystems, including Android Automotive OS, BlackBerry QNX, Linux, and AUTOSAR. The company says the new architecture will have a central computer made up of two SoCs provided by Nvidia. One SoC will focus on basic driving functions, and the other will control semi-autonomous features and other more advanced functions. In the future, Volvo hopes to merge these two computers into a single system to increase processing efficiency.

In short, Volvo wants Epic Games to support the modernization of new-generation EV models, while recognizing that feature overabundance is a real problem to be solved. New, sharper, more colorful 3D effects are indispensable. But anything that distracts the driver will be removed.

“Nothing was out of our control. It’s important to us to introduce them at the right time, while ensuring a safe driving experience and keeping customers from being distracted by the new features” – Stovicek.

Reference: TheVerge