NEW YORK: Toyota’s Oculus Rift virtual reality headset aims to raise awareness of the dangers of “distracted driving” when motorists are safely off the road.
Unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, the TeenDrive365 application is pitched as a “distracted driving simulator”, challenging people to drive safely amid distractions from virtual text messages, passengers, and radio and traffic noise.
Toyota has installed the software and Oculus Rift hardware in a stationary car on its stand at the show, with visitors able to virtually drive using the car’s wheel and pedals, while experiencing the results of their focusing skills on the headset’s screen.
The app is part of a wider campaign to promote awareness of distractions while driving, which Toyota launched in late 2013. The company is planning to take the VR version on tour to automotive shows across the US in the coming months.
“Oculus Rift provides a virtual reality driving experience that mirrors real life behind the wheel, giving us a powerful, one-of-a-kind way to show parents and teens how everyday distractions can affect their ability to drive safely,” said Toyota’s corporate marketing director Marjorie Schussel as the app launched.
TeenDrive365 is one of a growing number of applications being developed for Oculus Rift that go beyond the device’s roots in gaming, from music-making apps for physically-disabled children to apps that relax nervous patients in hospitals or help treat post-traumatic stress disorder in soldiers.
The headset’s maker, Oculus VR, was bought by Facebook for $2bn in 2014. So far, Oculus Rift is only available in editions for developers, but the company is hoping to launch its first consumer model by the end of 2015.
