Munich Autoday Recap
The U/Day in Munich wrapped with a showcase of innovation, collaboration, and cutting-edge advancements in 3D visualization and automotive technology. The event brought together some of the leading names in the automotive industry, including:
alongside hands-on demonstrations from companies like:
and Unity teams working across our ecosystem of tools including Unity Asset Manager, Unity Muse, and Unity Asset Transformer.
Explore key highlights from the customer sessions below.
BMW's digital evolution: Mastering assets with Unity's Asset Manager
Markus Herbig, XR IT Specialist at BMW, unveiled 3D Mine, BMW’s new 3D asset management platform powered by Unity Asset Manager. The BMW team’s goal was to build an ecosystem where teams could easily share, access, and collaborate on version accurate 3D data.
By eliminating departmental silos and organizing assets by use case, BMW has redefined teamwork and productivity. Here’s why Unity Asset Manager was chosen as the backbone of 3D Mine:
- Private Cloud support for securing confidential data.
- Engine and asset agnostic capabilities to handle complex ecosystems.
- Integration with Unity Version Control for real-time updates and accuracy.
The deployment of 3D Mine in AWS has already automated several processes and all new projects are using Unity Version Control to ensure all assets stay up to date. BMW plans a full rollout this Summer, starting with their design and marketing teams.
Watch the presentation here.
Next-Gen car experiences with the Mercedes CLA
Mercedes-Benz is redefining digital luxury with the debut of its Unity-powered Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) system in the new Mercedes CLA. Nico Hempe, UX Technology Lead at Mercedes, introduced how Unity’s 3D technology is enhancing the in-car experience, pushing the boundaries of car infotainment systems.
Unity’s integration into the Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) enables the new CLA with:
- A customizable, fully dynamic and 3D-built tube scene.
- Real-time augmented cluster navigation for enhanced situational awareness.
- Optimized startup and runtime performance, enabling a seamless experience with Unity initializing in just 3 seconds.
- Runtime performance that consumes between 20-35% CPU (single core) for rendering and less than 10-20% GPU depending on the scene.
Mercedes and Unity plan to continue collaborating on innovative Unity-driven MBUX features for future Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Watch the presentation here.
No truck, no problem: overcoming distance with VR
Volvo Group’s foray into virtual reality (VR) has transformed training and product launches, as shared by Matthew Connors , XR Digital Product Area Owner. Volvo’s Meta Quest application Volvo FH Aero has proved to be a game-changer for sales representatives to showcase the new vehicle product line in an interactive application for VR experience.
The team developed the FH Aero VR experience in just 12 weeks, showcasing both the interior and exterior of the truck. The UX was designed to provide users with a tour of the new truck guided by a subject matter expert who could answer questions about the Aero launch or technical specifications. While some of the development began from the ground up, Volvo Group was able to tap into their existing VR experiences and use the kit of previously developed Unity scenes as a starting point to adhere them to their specific scope and timeline for delivery.
Early user feedback sessions from over 1,700 Volvo Truck dealers indicated that VR fostered a fun, social learning environment while effectively representing the truck. Their success with this application has opened doors at Volvo Group to develop new experiences for different departments and marketing events.
Watch the presentation here.
Navigating the future: Using gaming techniques for automotive maps
TomTom uses Unity to revolutionize map visualization and customization within its Premium Map Display. Rok Erjavec, VP Engineering, highlighted how Unity supports their innovative map designs with:
- High fidelity and advanced feature sets, including real-time 3D rendering
- Cross-functional collaboration, enabling engineering and design teams to work seamlessly.
- Customization to blend stylistic design of digital maps with traditional cartography principles.
- Integrations of 2D and 3D content for a high-quality, immersive user experience.
- Broad platform compatibility and hardware scalability with dedicated HMI support.
With maps, TomTom always starts with the cartography, and then once they have the baseline of the map the designer can seamlessly connect to Unity Editor through TomTom’s APIs and SDKs for styling 3D properties. Adding on real-time 3D elements evolves the map from static to dynamic, bringing it to life while maintaining data integrity.
Examples of what TomTom can build with the plugin includes lighting, environment properties, landmark models, and customer shaders. This customizability gives you the ability to create stylistic or branded maps – the opportunities are endless.
Valeo Racer - Realtime data for in-car XR gaming
Valeo is driving in-car entertainment and innovation forward. Patrice Reilhac, Director of Research and Innovation at Valeo Brain, presented Valeo Racer, one of the first Unity-powered in-car gaming experiences. Using sensor data, this gaming experience is designed for passengers to play while the car is driving, providing a glimpse into the future of immersive automotive entertainment.
Key features of their strategy include:
- Leveraging the passengers existing mobile devices to reduce hardware dependency in the car.
- Optimizing performance by streaming data from the car to external
- Attract game companies developing for mobile on Unity to create new games designed specifically for in-car use
Valeo’s vision of a software-defined vehicle (SDV) hopes to unlock exciting prospects for both safety and entertainment, collaborating with Unity and its community of developers in this transformation.
Watch the presentation here.
Driving the future: A look at Unity AI tools
Kristi O’Connor, Senior Technical Product Manager at Unity, introduced Unity AI, a new suite of tools designed to help teams create and iterate real-time 3D projects more efficiently across industries, from gaming to automotive and industrial applications. The Unity AI bundle includes three key components:
- AI Assistant: Integrated into the Unity Editor, it assists with debugging, scene setup, and coding to accelerate workflows.
- Generators: Ideal for prototyping, it allows users to generate textures, motion, and sound effects with simple prompts.
- Inference Engine: Enables running AI models directly in Unity at runtime, on edge devices, with no internet required.
Available now in Beta with the Unity Editor, these tools prioritize efficiency and creativity while supporting secure, privacy-first environments.
A look at our partner demonstrations
The event also consisted of incredible hands-on demonstrations from our valued partners, providing a deeper look into practical applications of technology in the automotive industry. Partners like ART Group, Siili Auto, Icon Incar, and United Visual Researchers showcased their solutions to a captivated audience. The Unity team also shared how Unity Asset Manager and Unity Asset Transformer are helping our customers to solve many problems in the automotive space.
From optical simulation and physically based rendering to manufacturing modern HMI’s for luxury and sports car infotainment systems, these demos illustrated the diverse ecosystem of technologies fueling the evolution of the automotive sector.
Looking ahead
Our event was just a glimpse into how leaders across the industry are using Unity’s ecosystem of tools to overcome challenges and redefine industry standards. From reimagining asset management to VR training and next-gen mapping solutions, Unity’s customers are transforming automotive innovation.
Interested in applying this game-changing technology in your projects? Learn more about how Unity’s solutions can advance your automotive developments.
