Interaktive and Practical Trainings with Virtual Porsche Center

Porsche & TriCAT introduce 'Porsche Spaces' - the Virtual Porsche Center as a Multi-Purpose/Multi-Stakeholder environment

Category: VIRTUAL TRAININGS

Project partner:

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

TriCAT GmbH

It's no longer science fiction: virtual spaces have been around for a long time. But not so long ago, the free walkability of these places was nothing but a dream. In the meantime, however, it has become apparent that worlds - such as we may know from the movie "Ready Player One" - are no longer a future fantasy. Porsche had exactly this idea: the creation of virtual training dreams that combine gamification and 3D virtuality. Accessible, no matter where you are in the world.

As a company, it is important to Porsche to enable its employees to continuously professionalize their skills at all times through innovative qualification concepts and measures. It should be irrelevant where the employees are located: The same opportunities are to be offered to all employees worldwide. This is the reason why Porsche AG decided to create a virtual and interactive learning opportunity: The virtual 3D Porsche Center. The model for this was the real Porsche Center, but the goal was to create a "virtual twin" that not only looks like the original, but also sets the standard in terms of accessibility and functionality to be designed like a presence. In other words, visitors to the virtual Porsche Center should have the feeling and immersion of being on site. Thus, this extremely extensive project forms an integral part of the "Porsche Qualification Strategy 2030". A project that came into focus through Covid-19 and thus subsequently helped to determine the composition of the target group.

Learning needs

Porsche's demand was big: the development of a photo-realistic 3D virtual Porsche center, which met the design standards - corporate identity and corporate architecture - as well as being true to detail in the interior and exterior. Here, the elements should not simply be "present", but offer actual interaction possibilities. This applies to the digital "vehicle twins" as well as to the virtual - and above all interactive - training sessions. Thus, training and coaching sessions should be designed to be close to reality, and the virtual objects should enable direct and realistic actions. For example, the opportunity should be provided to enable simulations with the vehicles themselves and to create direct applications in scenarios. In this way, virtual learning - and self-learning - will take place that can and should later be seamlessly transferred to reality. The virtual Porsche Center should not only feel like a virtual conference room, but also convey practical relevance and applicability. Theoretical as well as technical topics are to be examined and communicated in greater detail. By localizing it into 13 different languages, this virtual room is not only to be made accessible to all Porsche employees: In this way, everyone should be able to experience the same required professionalization and qualification without any possible loss of quality. In this respect, avatars are used throughout the training sessions, which are used by the users as virtual "Me’s". These can be used to walk through simulations and visit the virtual Porsche Center either alone or collaboratively. In this respect, the aim is to be able to enforce the globally comparable Porsche standard even more effectively and without losses. The focus here is on "experience" as a motivator to promote and qualify the main target group, consisting of employees in the areas of sales, retail, but also Corona conditionally from the internal Porsche company in the form of coaching, meetings and conferences, as well as workshops, live training and collaborative events.

Virtual and interactive

In virtual reality simulations in Porsche Spaces, it is possible, for example, to train customer conversations directly. Here, realistic interaction with the objects, such as the "virtual twins" of the vehicles, is a main key. Avatars and the photo-realistic environment ensure a highly immersive learning experience.

Project progress

The basis for the project was a bachelor thesis, which showed that a gaming-based approach to qualification and training in the field of retail service is useful and can be beneficial. Finally, TriCAT was brought on board to realize the project. TriCAT has been distinguishing itself for years with powerful and innovative solutions in the field of 3D learning environments and working environments, which are also used internationally. The basis for this is “TriCAT spaces” as an XR / AI ecosystem platform. With this platform it is possible to offer trainings, meetings, workshops, collaborations, co-creations as well as events of companies and organizations, but also conferences in a highly realistic quality, and thus to minimize distances virtually.

After the tender and the decision to collaborate, the scenarios "Comfort and Assistance System" and "Service Core Process" were created first. The self-learning scenarios and collaborative functions were first integrated into the Porsche retail organization LMS before the implementation of Porsche Spaces was carried out. The integration of learning scenarios and collaborative functions into the Porsche AG LMS took place last. The rollout was thus divided into two stages.

Coordination with the project's stakeholders took place at regular intervals, with more short-term controls being implemented immediately. The final Porsche AG internal rollout was scheduled for 2022.

"The sustainability and reach of the application exceed our expectations by far. Learning and working in the application is just really fun and makes us want more ‘Porsche Spaces’.”

Bastian Gscheidle, Project leader

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

Project result

The newer and more "unusual" an advance is, the higher the probability of initially being met with skepticism. The topic of VR is already on many lips - even in private - but its application is just taking place, and only in bits and pieces. So it was not surprising that reservations were initially noticeable. Gaming and simulation-based approaches in the context of a virtual three-dimensional environment are not yet commonplace. The diverse demand for the virtual Porsche Center from the various organizational areas, on the other hand shows that there has been an immense increase in popularity and curiosity across the various user groups and operational areas.

Already mentioned several times: Even during the development phase, due to the explosive Corona development, Porsche subsidiaries in Taiwan used "Porsche Spaces" to hold meetings and training sessions virtually. In this way, it was possible not only to respond to the effects and challenges posed by Covid, but also to react flexibly to the crisis and offer solutions.

Subsequently, the virtual Porsche Center has also been used several times: As part of the Digital Days 2020, it was possible to interactively experience Porsche's own virtual 3D environment. The concern-wide "Doctoral Day 2021" was held in "Porsche Spaces". In addition to other events that have already taken place or are still planned in the virtual Porsche Center, it is also planned to involve end customers in its use in the future.

Almost like the real thing

The three-dimensional virtual environment of the "Porsche Space" is designed to match the corporate design. On the one hand, this promotes identification with the Porsche brand, but on the other hand it also provides good orientation. The latter is supported by a catchy menu and map system.

Conclusion

Not just standing by in a training session, but getting right behind the wheel of a Porsche and taking a test drive is not something that everyone gets to do. It's not just about the privilege of driving a high-quality vehicle. It's about internalizing the company's values, understanding the car and gaining your own experience. The virtual Porsche Center is not just a nice place to walk around. The idea is to have a central place that anyone who needs the training can enter, regardless of whether they are in Stuttgart, Paris or Taipei. It is possible for the learners to dive directly into a world that seems real and thus creates a haptic connection to them on an immersive basis. What they deal with in their training is highly persistent, because this is not a three-dimensional point and click adventure, but a place where actions are mirrored one-to-one with reality. The experiences, for example in the salon training, are even possibly more real than in a real training, because through the use of avatars it is possible to dive directly into the roles and thus create highly realistic simulations.

TriCAT and Porsche have created a highly tangible world where experience and the feeling of "immersion" have become real: You really feel like you are in a Porsche center! The jury of the eLearning AWARD 2022 is highly fascinated by the possibilities that have been built here and is happy for the winner of the award in the category of "Virtual Trainings".

INFO

Specifications: Creation of a "virtual twin" of the Porsche Center. Not only the environment itself should be photo-realistic, but it should also be designed in an interactive way so that, for example, the vehicles are usable by the user. This is intended to provide an even better understanding of the Porsche standard.

Special features: A virtual 3D world has been created that is highly flexible and scalable. It is kept particularly realistic and impresses as a dynamic-interactive working environment in which up to 500 participants can take part as avatars.