Voyage XR by Valeo is enabling passengers with virtual company. Those not traveling inside the actual vehicle will wear VR to access the power of teletransportation. What is teletransportation? At CES, passengers rode around in self-driving cars from Range Rover that were equipped with Valeo’s Voyage XR, a system that teleported family members and friends into a car using Virtual Reality equipment.
VR on the Road
Test passengers at CES 2019 took a ride on a test track and got a glimpse into what future car rides will look like. While Audi’s Holoride was gamifying their rides with a VR headset and games that moved along with acceleration, stops, and turns, Valeo was demoing their self-driving cars with VR enabled teletransportation.
Driving is a major milestone for teenagers in America but self-driving cars are changing that. What if parents could watch what their kids are up to on the road even if they aren’t the ones driving? Valeo is working on adding VR headsets to self-driving cars so remote viewers can interact with riders.
Tech friendly cars with smartphone capabilities already allow for quick phone calls to family, friends, and associates. The Voyage XR is said to allow a simple button press to the car’s steering wheel to access a rider’s contact list. Once this is enabled riders allow those they select for Virtual Reality viewing inside the cabin of the car.
The caveat, the person selected is required to have a VR headset in order to view the inside of the car. Self-driving cars are an innovative way to keep teens and even elder adults hands free by replacing drivers with an AI driver. Foremost, its programmed to abide by rules that prevent the car from going over lines, to stop at reds, to go at green, and navigates harsh road conditions.
Interestingly, passengers can take a look at the rear view mirror and view whoever they’re speaking to as an avatar. Virtual passengers or remote viewers at another location put on the VR headsets but have their eyes covered, so showing their avatar on a screen is the next best thing to having them in the car.
Self Driving and Remote VR Viewing for Cars
The Daily Mail demoed a Range Rover in Las Vegas during CES and test drove the driverless-ready vehicle on the road. The autonomous vehicle wasn’t without a human backup there for safety and for navigating areas that weren’t already mapped out. Passengers got to view the ride from a separate location, teleporting them into the car itself using advanced sensors and cameras.
The online publication says, “Thanks to a wide range of technologies developed by the group (cameras, sensors, telematics, human-machine interface …), Valeo Voyage XR creates the illusion that a person of your choice, located outside the vehicle, is by your side.”
Valeo’s self-driving car technology is called Drive4U Remote, it is a system that can take over for the car’s driver during weather, health, and driving issues. If events such as these occur, a remote driver can gain access to the vehicle and drive. This is especially helpful for when kids, the elderly, or non-drivers are passengers.
