BMW Sees its Future in the METAVERSE

Automotive Company Builds a Digital Twin of its Factories with Nvidia Tech

- Michael Coates

Building a new automotive factory is a billion dollar investment. Retooling an existing factory can also mean hundreds of millions of dollars of expense.

On the other hand, increasing manufacturing efficiencies go straight to the bottom line.

Efficient manufacturing is a key element in building a successful automotive company. Ask Elon Musk about the impact of "manufacturing hell" on Tesla's bottom line.

Enter the latest technology tool- the ability to build a digital twin of a factory, replicating the building, its assembly equipment, robots and even its employees. Using software from Nvidia that allows for design collaboration in a shared virtual that also follows all of the laws of space physics, BMW Group is the first auto company to try out this advanced system. Digital humans trained with data from real workers can simulate ergonomics and efficiencies of a new plan.

The early returns on this new technology venture are encouraging. Milan Nedeljkovic, member of the board of management of BMW AG responsible for production, said he expects to see a big impact.

"These new innovations will reduce the planning times, improve flexibility and precision, and at the end produce a 30% more efficient planning process," Nedeljkovic said.

He characterized the software as a "revolution" for BMW's planning processes.