The North American International Auto Show in Detroit has opened to the public and some automakers are making use of virtual reality to show off their latest innovations.
Virtual reality headsets make use of head tracking to make users feel transported to a fully immersive 360 degree environment.
Garett Carr is Global Auto Shows and Events Manager for Ford. He says virtual reality allows consumers to experience vehicles that are still early prototypes before they’re actually on the road.
“And you get to go a little bit offroad, up into the mountains, down the highway and learn about the technologies in the vehicle and really experience the vehicle without ever leaving the building.”
Carr said in the future virtual reality could be used to simulate and experience a vehicle’s emergency features from the safety of your home.
The North American International Auto Show is open until January 27 at Detroit’s Cobo Center. The show moves to the summertime in 2020.