Chennai, May 18 (IANS): Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), the Indian commercial vehicle subsidiary of the German automobile giant Daimler AG, on Tuesday opened a Virtual Reality Centre (VRC) allowing operators to virtually perform serviceability and accessibility checks.

According to DICV, the operators will use a digital model accessed via 3D goggles and navigational joysticks.

The VRC can transform both research and development (R&D) and vehicle servicing procedures, as it reduces the need for custom-built tools, prototype vehicles, and service bays.

It has the potential to make commercial vehicles servicing and R&D considerably faster, more comprehensive, and more cost-effective,DICV Managing Director and CEO, Satyakam Arya, said.

Noting each model is checked on the ease of servicing and maintenance before it hits the market, he said: "The standard process is to develop a prototype version of the vehicle and then test how service technicians can access its parts and perform repairs. This process is repeated multiple times until the vehicle is fit to be mass produced.

"The VRC will allow us to replace many of those prototype-building iterations with virtual modelling and testing. It will speed up the development process and free up resources for further enhancing our portfolio."

Another benefit of using virtual reality is the opportunities it offers for remote collaboration. Without the need for a physical model and workspace, DICV is able to share the digital models with Daimler Truck colleagues around the world, Arya said.