Hardware Podcasts

185. BMW Makes Cars Faster With Augmented Reality

The Next Byte Podcast · 30 Jul 2024 · 22m

What this episode covers

Speakers Daniel and Forbode discuss how BMW utilizes Microsoft HoloLens and HoloSpace software to accelerate concept car validation by up to a year, reducing the need for physical prototypes. They highlight the cloud-based rendering architecture that offloads computation, allowing lightweight headsets to display full-scale 3D CAD models in real-world spaces for immediate stakeholder feedback. The episode also covers secondary applications in assembly line training and service technician education, noting potential friction points like gesture-only controls and network latency.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
BMW, Mouser Electronics, Neuralink, ETH Zurich, Wevolver
Products
Microsoft HoloLens, HoloSpace, Apple Vision Pro

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Product Startup · 18m

    173: Augmented Reality Technology in Hardware Startups

    Jonathan Bohun, founder of Action Ship VR and Weedar, explains how augmented reality (AR) is transitioning from niche to mainstream for hardware startups, driven by 5G, cloud computing, and improved battery life. He details how AR enhances physical products through interactive packaging, allowing brands to reduce physical materials while providing richer user experiences and customization. Bohun also highlights the shift toward collaborative AR experiences, where multiple users can interact with shared digital overlays in a physical space, citing examples from the cannabis and pharmaceutical industries.

    Connected products & IoTIndustrial & consumer product design
    7 chapters

  • EE Times Current · 45m

    Bigger Than Smartphones

    Jon Peddie and Kathleen Maher of Jon Peddie Research discuss the convergence of the 'metaverse' and 'omniverse' as the next major interface between humans and digital environments. They explain that GPU compute shaders and parallel processing provide the necessary hardware foundation, while open standards like USD and cooperative industry efforts drive the software ecosystem. The guests highlight industrial applications, such as PTC's AR training and Siemens' digital twins, as the primary market drivers, predicting that AR glasses will eventually become as ubiquitous as smartphones.

    Connected products & IoTMicrocontrollers & dev platforms
    6 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 38m

    Augmented Reality on the Manufacturing Shop Floor w/ Devin Bhushan

    Devin Bhushan, CEO of Squint, explains how his company uses augmented reality (AR) and generative AI to guide manufacturing operators through complex tasks like troubleshooting and quality inspections. He details the evolution from his work at Splunk and Yahoo, describing how Squint’s tablet-based interface overlays digital instructions and video onto physical machinery to reduce downtime and capture tribal knowledge. Bhushan argues that AR should be invisible to users, integrated seamlessly into daily workflows rather than requiring new hardware like headsets, and emphasizes starting with specific business outcomes like reducing third-shift errors.

    Connected products & IoTAI & machine learning
    5 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 31m

    How Extended Reality Can Revolutionize Operator Training and Equipment Service w/ Gilad Tzori

    Gilad Tzori, COO of Frontline.io, explains how immersive training using VR, AR, and digital twins addresses the rising complexity of manufacturing equipment and the loss of tribal knowledge. He details how HP utilizes Frontline.io (branded as HPXR Services) with HoloLens devices to reduce training time and costs, while noting that smaller manufacturers can start with mobile devices or Meta Quest headsets. Tzori also predicts that AI integration and lightweight AR glasses will soon enable personalized, real-time machine assistance and remote expert support on the shop floor.

    Connected products & IoTAI & machine learning
    7 chapters

  • Product Startup · 19m

    182: Consumer Product Hardware Trends in Mid 2023

    Brian Thompson, head of Creo CAD software at PTC, discusses how modern hardware companies are integrating simulation, additive manufacturing, and model-based definition directly into the core CAD environment to accelerate time-to-market. He explains that staying within a single native CAD model, such as Creo, eliminates context switching and data errors, allowing startups and enterprises to iterate rapidly from concept to production. The conversation highlights specific capabilities like ANSYS solvers for structural analysis and Oxetic lattices for energy absorption, which enable designers to validate performance and manufacturability without leaving the design tool. Thompson emphasizes that this unified approach de-risks product development by allowing teams to test with real customer feedback on short-run additive prototypes before committing to expensive full-scale tooling.

    PCB design & layoutMechanical engineering
    6 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Next Byte Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.