Volvo’s new in-car software is powered by the same technology as the Fortnite computer game.
Technology that is familiar to a legion of gamers around the world will soon see a whole new type of player… Volvo drivers.
The infotainment and other in-car interfaces in the forthcoming Volvo EX90 electric seven-seater will be powered by the Unreal Engine from Epic Games – as used for a plethora of video games, such as Fortnite or Mortal Kombat.
What’s more, the system is powered partly by an Nvidia Drive AI graphics processor, similar to the technology that has kept gamers entertained for years.
Using the system, Volvo’s new HMI (Human Machine Interface) will deliver real-time, photorealistic 3D graphics through the 15-inch infotainment touchscreen, driver’s digital instruments and head-up display, but also provide cloud-based data services and over-the-air updates.
“Real-time, game-quality graphics enabled by Unreal Engine allows us to do things we could never achieve with developments of traditional HMI technologies,” Thomas Stovicek, Volvo Cars Head of User Experience, said in a media statement.
We are seeing it as the beginning of a new generation of HMI that offers much broader opportunities for Volvo Cars.
The Unreal-powered infotainment is used in concert with already implemented Google Maps and data personalisation services first deployed on the current-generation XC40 Recharge Pure Electric.
The new software will integrate with the EX90’s roof-mounted lidar and other sensor arrays to provide clearer graphical information to the driver when using the car’s automated driver assistance functions.
What’s more, the use of the game engine enables Volvo to add and improve functionality over time, including Car2X-based multi-user communication.
The Unreal Engine was first used in 1998 for the first-person shooting games, Unreal and Unreal Tournament.
The latest version, Unreal Engine 5, was released in April this year and is available as an open-source platform to allow better shared development. The software is even used to power the realistic real-time rendering of the alien landscapes in the Star Wars Disney production of The Mandalorian.
The Volvo EX90 (to eventually succeed the XC90) is expected to arrive in Australia in 2024. You can read full details of the new all-electric SUV here.
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