EVLAB-XR

Xray Shader in Unity
Blender motion tracked footage
Information board-reference images

Inspiration

The inspiration for EVLAB-XR came after visiting my local dealership to learn about EVs, only to realize they knew no more than I did about features, troubleshooting, and maintenance. Conversations with industry professionals revealed similar challenges: a lack of accessible, detailed information and costly training programs that often require flying in personnel from distant locations. This highlighted the need for a modern, interactive solution to bridge these gaps efficiently and affordably.

What it does

EVLAB-XR is a mixed reality platform that trains both EV owners and technicians through immersive, interactive tools. For owners, it provides a hands-on way to explore and understand their vehicle’s features, troubleshooting processes, and maintenance requirements. By aligning a virtual 3D model with the physical vehicle, users can visually identify components, learn about their functions, and perform guided troubleshooting tasks, all in an intuitive and engaging format. For technicians, EVLAB-XR offers advanced features like diagnostics and repairs. Technicians can quickly identify part numbers or access detailed specifications and, with a single click, be redirected to the parts website for immediate ordering. This eliminates time wasted searching for information and speeds up repair workflows.

How we built it

I started by dedicating some time to researching EV catalogs and parts websites to understand the available resources and how users currently access critical information. This research helped me identify what to prioritize. Using reference images from my research, I 3D modeled some components in Blender, ensuring visual clarity for interactive learning. The focus was on creating optimized 3D assets that could run smoothly on mixed reality platforms. Once the models were complete, I turned my attention to the user interface, prioritizing intuitive navigation and functionality. Finally, everything came together in Unity, this step involved integrating the UI, optimizing the performance, and testing the application to ensure a smooth and immersive experience for both EV owners and technicians.

Challenges we ran into

The first issue was setting up a very ambitious goal, had to cut down to just have the main fucntions up and running. The second issue was aligning the digital content with the physical vehicle. I knew this was going to be my biggest challenge, and to try and make it intuitive for the users.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I was running up and down with excitement when I tested my mechanism to align the digital model with the real truck and watching it align if not perfectly, close enough to be able to overlay diffent UI and 3d model components. After a few iterations, I came up with a method that works for now, but will try to keep improving.

What we learned

Time management is very important and setting up realistic expectations. I also tested a few AI mesh gen tools, I did not like the results but I learned that they can speed up the process to setup a base and edit the model.

What's next for EVLAB-XR

I think it has the potential to solidify into a very useful tool, maybe would have to narrow it down to focus on owners or technicians, but I can see this being adopted into dealers, service shops, etc. I would love to keep working on it and release a beta on App lab to get some feedback.