Detroit Design Students Turn To Virtual Reality to Create a Metaverse Concept Car Experience in Meta Horizon Worlds

September 14, 2022
The Metaverse Concept Car Showroom

Detroit’s College for Creative Studies (CCS) unveils unparalleled collaboration with Meta on the creation of a future virtual reality auto show experience created in the metaverse.

With Detroit at the tech-epicenter of all things auto and the College for Creative Studies (CCS) the expert in design education, it makes perfect sense that CCS Transportation Design students teamed up with Meta’s Creative Shop to build its first-ever VR auto show experience in Meta Horizon Worlds in honor of the North American International Detroit Auto Show (Detroit Auto Show).

A group of CCS Transportation Design students participated in a two week program and were tasked with imagining what a future auto show could look like in the metaverse. Using Meta Horizon Worlds, Meta’s social virtual reality platform that houses over 10,000 worlds for people to build, experience and explore together, the students developed automotive concepts, displayed in a virtual pavilion to demonstrate how cars could be displayed in the future. 

In addition to exploring cutting-edge technology, the students are also benefiting from the inherent purity that designing in this program offers. “I think this collaboration is a really interesting challenge that gives us a canvas to show off raw design fundamentals,” says student Matthew Craddock.

The Metaverse Concept Car Showroom offers a complement to an in-person auto show experience or simply a way to reach people who can’t attend. It explores how the future of the auto show in the metaverse could allow people a chance to build their own vehicles, experience the thrill of driving their dream cars, explore the production process and more.

“The 2022 Detroit Auto Show has been completely reimagined, and we have added elements to the show that embrace the mobility of the future, so welcoming Meta and CCS to the show is a natural fit in that they are embracing the way vehicles of the future will be designed and demonstrated,” said Rod Alberts, executive director, Detroit Auto Show. “We look forward to experiencing what the future leaders of mobility have to share.”

The students were guided by Chiwei Lee, a CCS alum, adjunct professor, and current Head of Tech, Telco and Entertainment for Meta’s Creative Shop, who is focused on driving future transformation within the auto industry.

“The metaverse will democratize a world of new creative and economic opportunities across professions and new and more diverse communities. These concepts and campaigns help brands and companies discover how they can connect with Gen Z who are really our first metaverse native generation – driving the physical, digital, and virtual commerce of the future.”

Meta and CCS will unveil this cutting edge experience during media and industry preview days September 14th and 15th at the Detroit Auto Show, which is appropriately focused on electric vehicles and emerging technology. The Metaverse Concept Car Showroom will also be available to anyone with Meta Quest 2 devices in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Spain and France.