3D-VR-360°

Around 30,000 visitors, 31 virtual reality goggles and 4½ minutes of film adventure: at the Employee Day of the global enterprise Schaeffler, simple sends 1,200 guests on a thrilling virtual reality journey into Schaeffler’s digital world.

The brief

The Schaeffler Group wants its staff to find out more about its “Mobility of tomorrow” concept and the significance of digitalisation for Schaeffler. The form of communication should work for all age groups and reflect the new possibilities of virtual reality technologies.

The challenge

Concepts for virtual reality experiences follow new rules and place special demands on storytelling and visuals. The aim of our concept is to strike a balance between spectacular images, content communication and prevention of “simulator sickness” among users. Despite the large numbers of visitors, a compelling and comprehensive concept has to be developed that can guide each individual visitor through the complex material and allow them to experience digitalisation in all its dimensions.

The idea

Almost everything that moves or moves things contains important components or systems produced by the Schaeffler Group – and everywhere there is movement there is data. The virtual reality experience sends us on a journey of discovery in which we find out about Schaeffler’s new digital technologies and solutions and we see how Schaeffler designs the mobility of tomorrow in the age of digitalisation.

The technology

From the beginning, we have worked with our implementation partner ThreeDee, Munich (Link) in a real-time-3D environment. This means the linear story can be easily extended with interactive elements for subsequent applications and used for different application scenarios and technical settings.

The work environment makes it possible for the hardware to be used independently. For mobile, temporary and highly frequented applications such as the Employee Day in Herzogenaurach, we use smartphone-based headsets. These systems require no cables or their own computers because the smartphone holder works with integrated electronics. The immersion and image quality and the performance exploit the full potential of the mobile telephone, but not yet those of virtual reality.

Stationary applications with computer-supported systems produce an even better visual quality, a realistic spatial feeling, intuitive interaction interfaces and thus a stronger immersive experience for visitors.

The reality

The mobile SAMSUNG GearVR is used for its initial application on Employee Day. With 31 smartphone-based headsets, we send over 1,200 visitors on a journey through Schaeffler’s digital world.

The virtual reality experience on the subject of digitalisation already begins in the futuristically designed Panorama Room. The bright wall graphics create the right visual atmosphere for visitors and introduce travellers spatially to the immersive experience.

A few words of introduction sensitise visitors to the technology, possible actions with the VR goggles and their own movement in the virtual room. On revolving shell chairs, they can enjoy 360° all-round views without losing their balance: whether they’re riding in Schaeffler’s new bio-hybrid vehicle through the city of the future or flying through offshore wind farms on the open seas.

The all-round experience brings alive Schaeffler’s innovative components in a variety of applications. A memorable adventure that allows visitors to experience with all their senses, beyond their computer screens, the driving force behind Schaeffler’s digital revolution.