Audi is bringing virtual reality to the car as part of a collaboration with an altcoin project. Will ‘Motorverse’ change the face of backseat entertainment?
Audi partnered with this altcoin project
There is a use case for unused virtual reality: the automobile. ‘VR in the car’, where passengers entertain themselves with virtual reality (VR) headsets instead of phones or iPads, seems like a good idea on paper. But the technology is notorious for causing motion sickness in many users, even when standing still. Throw it in a moving car and you’re almost guaranteed to need a vomit bag.
There’s a way around this problem, and an Audi startup has done it. Holoride, which will launch in the US at CES 2023, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze the car’s movement in real time. It also combines this with the user’s head movements, softening the experience and keeping vomit bags behind the seat. We can confirm it’s working to test the product at CES 2023.
The company has also added a metaverse element: Its platform is powered by a token called a RIDE based on the MultiversX Blockchain (formerly Elrond). The altcoin incentivizes developers by acting as an in-game loyalty token with real value. It also acts as a portable currency for users among Holoride compatible games as well as any future products that choose to integrate RIDE into the experience.
How will the system work and what does Holoride aim for?
Holoride assertively calls this vision the ‘Motor Universe’. He also spent a lot of time thinking about it. The company split from Audi years ago and has been preparing the platform for a while, although the hardware is new to the market. RIDE was released at the end of 2021. It has since been listed on several exchanges. Nils Wollny, CEO of Holoride, says:
We wanted to find a very fair method of compensation for the creators we work with. In other words, we share the revenue we generate with the creators who create it for our platform. We didn’t want to be a black box. We wanted to make it transparent…We developed a technology stack that collects vehicle data in real time. You are not bothered by motion… because you see it constantly moving in your peripheral view.
For Holoride to work, it needs to fully understand the movement of the car. Although only available in certain Audi models so far, the technology can be built directly into the car’s systems. But the product that debuted at CES is an aftermarket solution. A short, black, cylindrical tool about the size of a hockey puck that you mount on your windshield. This disc then connects wirelessly with the headset to perform the magic of motion fusion.
Holoride works with the Vive Flow headset, which is based on the HTC Vive VR platform and connects wirelessly to the disc (or vehicle system). If you already have a Vive Flow, you can buy the disc for just $199. However, the company expects it to sell more bundles, including the headset, which retails for $799. You also need to subscribe to the Holoride platform, which costs $20 per month or $180 per year. Wollny says that’s because Holoride’s target customer isn’t a metaverse aficionado, but rather a busy parent looking for a different experience for their kids in the backseat on long trips.
cryptocoin.com Time will tell if this is a strong market, as you will follow. But if it does happen, the company is ready to meet it. With a metaverse platform, a Web3 altcoin project, and a truly working gadget, Holoride is poised to take over VR in the car for as long as customers want to come.