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Acura runs its first augmented reality race
Thu, 13th Jul 2017
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Acura recently teamed up with a host of renowned Youtube personalities, gamers and race car drivers to present their first ever augmented reality race.

From behind the wheel of their new 2018 TLX A-Spec, the drivers competed for the fastest overall time, doing three laps in individual runs.

Each lap triggered a new AR course, which was visible to the driver and a Facebook live audience, each track featuring a unique set of visuals and obstacles.

Each driver brought a unique perspective to the event, as well as this the audience also played an active role in the race.

When prompted, the audience could use reaction emojis to reveal shortcuts and clear obstacles to influence the course's landscape to help their favourite driver succeed.

The drivers each sported custom-built helmets with augmented reality technology embedded in the extra-wide visor.

This event is a great example of a company can use AR and live interaction to excite consumers about their product.

The live stream brought in a total of 123,000 views, making it the most viewed video on Acura's Facebook page.

This live stream also showcased the capabilities of AR/VR technology and I'm excited to see if one day will have F1 like races being driven solely on augmented reality tracks.

The 2018 Acura TLX will follow up on this year's 2017 model, aiming to improve on that design.

The sedan boasts a more aggressive, sporty and alluring look, it also includes new premium features and technology enhancements.

The car also boasts a few self-driving and driver assist features including collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist.

Acura has a long history of working and interacting with innovative technology, often integrating it into their cars.

Acura also has a 'mobility program' that ensures drivers who are disabled are safe in their vehicles.

The program offers cash reimbursement towards the cost of adaptive equipment for disabled drivers.