Mercedes to make use of Nvidia’s digital twin tech to modernize its factories • TechCrunch

Mercedes Benz is becoming a member of the metaverse. Or at the very least its meeting services are.

The automaker is one in all Nvidia’s newest prospects to make use of Omniverse Enterprise, a software program platform used to  construct and function metaverse purposes. Nvidia mentioned Tuesday forward of the official kickoff of CES 2023 that Mercedes will use Omniverse to design, plan and optimize its factories. Particularly, Mercedes is getting ready to fabricate its new electrical automobile platform at its plant in Rastatt, Germany.

Utilizing Omniverse, the automaker is ready to construct a digital twin of the manufacturing facility and simulate new manufacturing processes with out disrupting present automobile manufacturing. Nvidia says having a digital workflow will let Mercedes rapidly react to produce chain disruptions and reconfigure the meeting line as wanted.

Danny Shapiro, Nvidia’s VP of automotive, advised TechCrunch Mercedes has already been working with Nvidia to check out autonomous automobile expertise in simulation.

“Now what they’re speaking about is utilizing our Omniverse expertise, bringing that right down to the manufacturing stage, and making a digital twin of your entire manufacturing facility,” mentioned Shapiro. “So modelling all of the automobiles going by the meeting, all of the robots, all of the manufacturing facility staff, and with the ability to design and plan the manufacturing and the meeting plant earlier than it’s truly reside. And so that is serving to them streamline, shifting over from an present A category manufacturing into a brand new era automobile.”

A whole manufacturing facility simulation might assist automakers assess potential bottlenecks, create extra ergonomic working circumstances or decide the place a robotic would possibly fail to finish a activity earlier than the ability truly begins manufacturing. Shapiro mentioned Mercedes plans to scale this technique to its factories globally sooner or later.

Mercedes possible gained’t be the one automaker doing so. As we recently predicted, automakers within the coming years will depend on digital twins for every part from designing automobile interiors to creating factories extra environment friendly to crash testing automobiles.

Shapiro famous that automakers can use Drive SIM, Nvidia’s simulation platform, to collaborate on automobile design in digital actuality. Sooner or later, he expects automakers to make use of simulation to create retail experiences and provide digital walkthroughs of automobiles from a buyer’s house.

“We take into consideration this complete lifecycle of a digital twin, from design to engineering to manufacturing to retail,” mentioned Shapiro, nodding in direction of a possible announcement within the automotive retail realm within the coming months.