Valeo unveils in-car XR racing game at SXSW

Valeo CTO Geoffrey Bouquot and Unity's Nick Facey, managing producer for Unity Industry, got together with Elizabeth Hyman, president and CEO of XR Association, at SXSW for a fireside chat titled "Cruising with Augmented Reality: Exploring Entertainment in Autonomous Cars."

Bouquot insisted on the limitless possibilities using automotive sensors and software for applications beyond their primary functions.

"By 2030, almost all cars will be equipped with cameras and other sensors. Together with the associated software, these technologies support safety, electrification, and sustainability in the next generations of mobility," Bouquot said. "Beyond that, it offers a world of opportunities for other applications, such as gaming, education, and so much more. It's exciting to explore these new frontiers with our partners in automotive, gaming, and other creative industries."

Facey added, "A lot of the focus has been on the driver, such as bringing car signals into better graphics engines, Unity being one of them. Today, we have really good graphics and real-time information going to the driver to make driving safer, better, more efficient. Now we're bringing the passengers into that experience. This convergence of technology is almost always a good thing for consumers."

Valeo is a world leader in automotive sensors and cameras and has also been working with augmented reality for more than 20 years. The parking guidance displays that you see overlaid on your backup camera video feed and your car's head-up display? Those are AR features developed by Valeo and already available on millions of vehicles. The company's new XR software development kit will offer game developers the means to create new types of games that utilize a car's existing onboard cameras, sensors, perception algorithms, and artificial intelligence to reimagine the in-vehicle gaming experience.

"As the leader of the XR Association, the industry trade association for virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, I'm always looking for opportunities to identify and showcase the latest advancements and use cases for immersive technology," Hyman said. "While Valeo Racer is a gaming experience, it is also a platform that will inspire developers to create new products and experiences in a way that marries up the advancements of autonomous vehicles with immersive technology."

Valeo Racer is not a signal that the automotive tech company is entering the gaming space. Rather, it's a demonstration of what Valeo's XR software development kit could bring to the automotive industry, and it's a proof of concept for a new type of in-car entertainment. As vehicles reach more advanced levels of autonomy, XR will offer even more opportunities to create new experiences for both passengers and drivers.

Learn moreabout how Unity can help you with your XR project. Missed out on trying the Valeo RacerXR game at SXSW 2024? Here'swhat a few people had to say about it.