PSA Peugeot Citroen Adopts EAI Technology for 3D Virtual Showrooms
1 November 1999
PSA Peugeot Citroen Adopts EAI Technology to Develop 3D Virtual Automobile ShowroomsEAI's WorldToolKit Allows Customers to Virtually Experience the Citroen Xsara
Picasso Before it Rolls off Assembly Lines
AMES, Iowa, Nov. 1 -- Engineering Animation, Inc.
today announced that PSA Peugeot Citroen has adopted EAI's
WorldToolKit software to develop a sales and marketing tool that allows
potential buyers to virtually sit inside an automobile, customize interior
options and styles, change exterior paint colors and experience the roominess
and comfort of the interior-before the automobile is commercially available on
showroom floors. This first virtual reality tool of its kind to be used by
the French automobile industry is currently installed in 60 European
automobile dealerships, 30 of which are located in France.
"The photorealistic 3D environment, transforms potential customers into
participants who interact with the virtual Xsara Picasso," said Nicolas
Tournier, principal engineer at the VR Department of PSA Peugeot Citroen.
"EAI's technology has helped Citroen bring prospective buyers inside the Xsara
Picasso, a car which exists in the virtual world, but not yet in the physical
world."
PSA Peugeot Citroen selected WorldToolKit, a cross-platform development
tool for building high-performance 3D applications, because the software's
real-time interactive 3D graphics allow users to immerse themselves inside
environments that they otherwise would not be able to experience.
This innovative use of virtual reality is powered by an Intergraph TDZ
2000 Wildcat Workstation and takes full advantage of WorldToolKit's support
for Ascension Technology's positioning sensors and Virtual Research's
immersive headmount display, all of which are distributed by Immersion SA in
France. This application demonstrates how virtual reality can be used as a
practical business solution for stimulating sales and communicating detailed
product information to consumers, prior to the commercial availability of
physical models.
"We are pleased that a successful European automobile manufacturer, such
as PSA Peugeot Citroen, has used EAI's WorldToolKit to develop this
groundbreaking application," said Tom Coull, executive director at EAI. "A
leader in automobile design and production, Peugeot is changing how customers
make automobile-purchasing decisions, and we are excited to be a part of this
important development that is new to the automobile-sales industry."
About WorldToolKit
WorldToolKit is a cross-platform development tool for building
high-performance, real-time 3D applications. The software allows clients to
efficiently incorporate real-world behaviors, interactivity, immersive devices
and multi-wall projection systems for creating powerful virtual reality
simulations.
About EAI
Engineering Animation, Inc. is the leader in Internet-enabled visual
process management, collaboration, analysis and communication solutions for
extended manufacturing enterprises. EAI's VisEPM(TM) solutions, which include
e-Vis.com(TM) ( http://www.e-vis.com ), Open Enterprise Visualization(TM) and
Open Virtual Factory(TM), help manufacturing companies drive down costs while
improving business practices, efficiency, quality and time-to-market. The
Company maintains its corporate headquarters and technology center in Ames,
Iowa and has offices worldwide.
