L E V E L 0
Reading time: approx. 15 minGamified IndustryThey are fast, well-connected, intuitive and they look great: Even today, computer games are often still a generation ahead of the operating software used for administrative and industrial applications. Game developers are now driving digital technologies even in non-gaming industries, with ideas that are conquering the production and mobility concepts of tomorrow.
L E V E L 1 // Made in Allgäu
L E V E L 2 // They Just Want to Play
L E V E L 3 // Learning through Play
L E V E L 4 // Pass Go and Collect $200
L E V E L 2 // They Just Want to Play
L E V E L 3 // Learning through Play
L E V E L 4 // Pass Go and Collect $200
L E V E L 1
Made in Allgäu
A portal into the world of industry-led gaming can be found in southern Germany, in the town of Kempten in the Allgäu region, close to the borders with Austria and Switzerland. Kempten is home to 70,000 people, a town hall featuring onion-domed towers and a pedestrian zone, as well as the Kempten University of Applied Sciences. This practice-oriented campus is located in the town center and is probably the largest incubator of young game design talent in Germany, with around 400 students enrolled on game engineering courses. The growing range of degree programs offer far more than just a corner for computer geeks to play in. The games industry has become the most important infotainment sector in the world–ahead of film and music–with sales now amounting to billions.Roughly, every person in Germany already plays games on their cell phone or computer. Games have become a trend-setting mass product.
However, there’s more to it than that.The innovative, high-performance technologies coming out of game studios are now gaining traction in other sectors too because they are generally faster, more interactive and more cost effective than other solutions. Established industries including the automotive, logistics and aviation sectors are now relying on high-end solutions from the world of gaming for concepts such as realistic collision calculations, high-quality visualizations and overlays in head-up displays, 3D engineering, virtual factory planning and user-friendly human-machine interfaces.
Professor Bernd Dreier is one of the pioneers who is driving these new technological trends. Located on the third floor of the university, he runs a computer lab with hexagonal standing desks and large screens to create an informal environment in which to support his students.
The gaming sector is also leading the way when it comes to the capture and semantic analysis of three-dimensional geometric structures – a process that is essential for applications such as autonomous driving. “An autonomous vehicle needs to perceive its surroundings and must be able to recognize which objects are nearby, what dangers they pose or what messages they are sending,” says Dreier. “The games industry has the most experience in analyzing and visualizing the 3D data required to distinguish a tree from a human or traffic sign.”
Games are in pole position in this area because of their history: Games did not necessarily invent the associated technologies, but they did develop them to a functional state that is ready for the mass market. Since its inception, the digital games industry has had to develop high-performance products that are simple for consumers to use and therefore suitable for the masses. Due to their widespread popularity in living rooms, games quickly became inexpensive – a real advantage for use on an industrial scale. The game engines available today make it easier to create new games. The associated software libraries help users to produce videos, graphics or physics elements faster because less programming effort is required and the design process less complex.“These engines are now being used by several companies – for example, they might use them to visualize a vehicle or for visualizations in the vehicle itself,” says Dreier.
Kempten University sees itself as a meeting place where the foreign worlds of industry and game studios can meet rather than existing alongside each other without interacting as they have done in the past. “Each side still has its reservations,” says the researcher. As a rule, industrial players are keen to build expertise within their own organization. This is why the university often receives enquiries about graduates with game engineering knowledge. The game studios are less than enthusiastic about this trend – they are already complaining that non-gaming employers are poaching good people with lucrative offers.“Gaming has had a change of image,” says Dreier. “They have moved away from the old, somewhat grimy image of being nerdy and highly addictive and are now being recognized as a general cultural asset.”
L E V E L 2
They Just Want to Play
Rather than reinventing the digital wheel, automotive supplier Bosch has teamed up on a project with Mackevision from Stuttgart, a world leader in computer-generated 3D visualizations, animations and high-end visual effects. Mackevision has been commended for its work on the fantasy series “Game of Thrones”. Working with Bosch, the media company is now developing a “virtual validation platform” that can be used to virtually test sensors for automated driving. And it’s all based on a game engine. The purpose of the project is to save time, costs and other resources.
To date, sensor groups for automated vehicles have been put through an elaborate testing program covering thousands of kilometers on real roads. “This enormous effort would be eliminated with a virtual solution,” explains Kian Saemian, Vice President Future Technologies at Mackevision and the initiator of the project. “That’s why we now want to test all sensor groups virtually with the platform.” Even critical situations caused by the weather or by unanticipated road users can be tested in thousands of variations. Saemian believes that Bosch’s keen interest in the project is a sign that the company is now more open to the idea of relying on tried-and-tested technologies from the games industry in its engineering projects.
And it’s not just about driving – it’s also about flying. ATCSim based in Kaufbeuren, a medium-sized, international software company with more than 100 employees, develops tower and radar simulation software that is being used worldwide for training, testing and research. These complex simulations and simulators are used by international air traffic control organizations to train air traffic controllers via programs that resemble video games but they are completely realistic. Air traffic controllers are trained specifically for each airport they work at using a complete 3D visualization of the relevant airport and its surroundings, as well as the vehicles and aircraft in use. The graphic artists at ATCSim, a subsidiary of the American company UFA, Inc., faithfully reproduce the respective airport landscapes and objects.
ATCSim has also developed a driving simulator for ground personnel at airports. The airport fire service at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv uses the software to train for emergency situations.“Technologies that are conventionally associated with the games sector are used all the time when we implement our solutions and develop our software,” says Head of Development, Ivan Rasin. “Game engineering students are most definitely one of our sources of new specialists.”
And the examples keep on rolling in:Daimler research subsidiary Daimler Protics is in the process of designing digital realities for use within the Group as well as for vehicles, and is developing new engineering processes with 3D experts such as NetAllied in Ravensburg. Developers at Hans Hundegger AG, a world leader in CNC-controlled wood processing machines, use game technologies for generating realistic machine simulations to prevent production errors and tool collisions. “There is great potential in the games industry and we are keen to continue utilizing it,” says Sebastian Scheuerl, Deputy Director of Software Development. “We’re keeping our eyes peeled for new opportunities.”
L E V E L 3
Learning through Play
Despite becoming notorious for lengthy delays of late, state-owned rail network Deutsche Bahn is leading the way with its use of cyberspace games. The rail giant is now training its employees using highly immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality to teach them how to couple trains or use the wheelchair lift in the ICE4 high-speed trains.
This approach offers a key advantage: “There is no need to take trains out of action to deliver the training; employees learn all the necessary steps on the virtual object in the classroom,”says Felix Falk, Managing Director of the German Games Industry Association. Virtual reality is being used in other scenarios, too. For example, Munich-based startup VISCOPIC has developed a training course with realistic holograms of point switches to provide training on how to eliminate faults and other incidents. This “game” represents a move to compensate for a shortage of skilled workers.
“If we think about Industry 4.0 in particular, gaming technologies are set to become increasingly important for all branches of industry in Germany,” says games industry expert Falk.All sectors, from automotive manufacturing to textiles production, can benefit from the huge amount of expertise in 3D technologies within the games industry when designing intuitive user interfaces and simulations. “The games industry is considered a technological pioneer,” says Falk. “Without its innovations, cost-effective development of models and products in other sectors would practically inconceivable.”
What’s more, game mechanics are becoming more and more prevalent in non-gaming industries. Competitions and rewards, points, bonus systems and levels are all used to encourage employees’ intrinsic motivation and willingness to learn. After all, many employees have long been accustomed to this kind of interaction in their everyday life. According to a study conducted by the Games Industry Association in conjunction with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 56 per cent of the HR managers surveyed have already used learning games to train themselves or employees at their company. The training portfolio available ranges from disseminating specialist knowledge and learning a language, to training cognitive skills and soft skills such as improving conflict management techniques.
“Serious games” offer the great advantage of providing interactive learning content and enabling intuitive and individual learning, regardless of the user’s age and how familiar they are with games.
“Working environments are becoming ever more complex so the need for this type of product will continue to grow,” Falk predicts.
The digitalization consultants at MHP are also very familiar with game elements in other contexts.“We’re encountering gamification more and more in different places,” says mobility expert Marcus Willand, Associated Partner at MHP.“It’s a helpful way to trigger desired behavior in humans – such as a better approach to sustainability.”
For example, car drivers can be motivated to drive more economically when the results are animated on the instrument console via playful methods such as icons, dots or red and green progress bars.“However, these types of incentives must be voluntary – sanctions are not productive,” Willand stresses.The Whim app for selecting public transport developed by Helsinki company MaaS Global works on a similar principle. A monetary approach allows users to save money every month if they opt for environmentally friendly methods – and not just virtual money.
Despite the fascination with gamification, it is important not to forget the negative side of excessive gaming, such as distraction from actual work, harmful addictive behavior or loss of control. According to critics, game-driven forms of motivation can also lead to users being manipulated or increased competition among colleagues. It is therefore essential that due consideration is given to how the new opportunities that games offer are used and handled.
L E V E L 4
Pass Go and Collect $200
More than 30,000 employees, 399 locations on five continents and nearly 84 million shipments a year:Dachser, a service provider based in Kempten, is a global player in the logistics sector. There are now more than 400 people in the IT department, and there is even a research and development team and a working group on usability, which is quite unusual. These teams are always looking out for new trends and they recently hosted a game engineering student for six months. It was a new type of encounter, involving new terminology, different perspectives on personal interactions and new technologies. Everything was different.
IT-Manager Hubert Reiser, Department Head Collaboration and User Experience, is keen to benefit from such enrichment opportunities.
Reiser is a curious man. He generally spends more time asking questions than he does giving answers. And this open-minded approach is helping him to map out how games can benefit logistics. Reiser even went to the Gamescom trade fair in Cologne, despite some skeptical looks.“I wanted to pick up ideas, get to know the technologies, mechanisms and social changes. Not to mention the fact that we can recruit potential future employees there.”
It’s clear that digitalization will play an even greater role at Dachser over the next five to ten years, and games could be a driving factor in the transformation. Reiser sees parallels between games and logistics.
Reiser envisages that it will one day be possible to plan the ideal loading format with technologies from the games industry that use the data about goods and pallets. Realistic weather models, just like those found in games applications, could also play a role in logistics. Another parallel is the need for intuitive handheld devices: the “Gameboy for the driver”. In the current market, drivers are scarce so there is little time to train new employees. This means that devices have to be self-explanatory and ideally fun to use.
“It’s good to look at these developments today. The coming years will show us where and how to use them. Who knows what trends we can expect in the future?”
From time to time, the IT expert at Dachser works closely with Bernd Dreier from Kempten University. The professor already has clear ideas about how the future will look like in 2025.
Dreier knows that game studios are already a generation ahead with this future-oriented topic, and concludes: “Industry doesn’t know yet just how much it can benefit from the games sector.”
N E X T LE V E L
More information:
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How intelligent systems deliver goods to homes around the world.
Man, these machines!
When will intelligent systems outstrip human capabilities?
Freedom for robots
Unwieldy, heavy-duty robots enclosed in small cages are the dinosaurs of the automotive industry. But a new species is starting to populate our factories: the cobots.
Text:
Sven Heitkamp is a freelance reporter and copywriter from Leipzig. He discovers what innovations startups are working on and explores how large corporations work. He researches societal trends and family histories, and writes for the Sächsische Zeitung, brand eins, Focus Spezial, Öko-Test, Porsche Consulting magazine, and other corporate publications.
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Gamified Industry
Made in Allgäu
Roughly, every person in Germany already plays games on their cell phone or computer. Games have become a trend-setting mass product.
However, there’s more to it than that.
Professor Bernd Dreier is one of the pioneers who is driving these new technological trends. Located on the third floor of the university, he runs a computer lab with hexagonal standing desks and large screens to create an informal environment in which to support his students.
Prof. Dreier
“The games industry has the most experience in analyzing and visualizing the 3D data required to distinguish a tree from a human or traffic sign.”
“These engines are now being used by several companies – for example, they might use them to visualize a vehicle or for visualizations in the vehicle itself,” says Dreier.
“Gaming has had a change of image,” says Dreier. “They have moved away from the old, somewhat grimy image of being nerdy and highly addictive and are now being recognized as a general cultural asset.”
They Just Want to Play
And it’s not just about driving – it’s also about flying.
“Technologies that are conventionally associated with the games sector are used all the time when we implement our solutions and develop our software,” says Head of Development, Ivan Rasin. “Game engineering students are most definitely one of our sources of new specialists.”
And the examples keep on rolling in:
Learning through Play
“There is no need to take trains out of action to deliver the training; employees learn all the necessary steps on the virtual object in the classroom,”
“If we think about Industry 4.0 in particular, gaming technologies are set to become increasingly important for all branches of industry in Germany,” says games industry expert Falk.
“Serious games” offer the great advantage of providing interactive learning content and enabling intuitive and individual learning, regardless of the user’s age and how familiar they are with games.
“Working environments are becoming ever more complex so the need for this type of product will continue to grow,” Falk predicts.
“We’re encountering gamification more and more in different places,” says mobility expert Marcus Willand, Associated Partner at MHP.
“However, these types of incentives must be voluntary – sanctions are not productive,” Willand stresses.
Pass Go and Collect $200
More than 30,000 employees, 399 locations on five continents and nearly 84 million shipments a year:
IT-Manager Hubert Reiser, Department Head Collaboration and User Experience, is keen to benefit from such enrichment opportunities.
“I wanted to pick up ideas, get to know the technologies, mechanisms and social changes. Not to mention the fact that we can recruit potential future employees there.”
Hubert Reiser
Reiser sees parallels between games and logistics.
Hubert Reiser
“It’s good to look at these developments today. The coming years will show us where and how to use them. Who knows what trends we can expect in the future?”
Prof. Dreier
Dreier knows that game studios are already a generation ahead with this future-oriented topic, and concludes: “Industry doesn’t know yet just how much it can benefit from the games sector.”
More information:
