Ford explores non-game applications for the Oculus Rift

When investors injected an additional $75 million investment into the Oculus Rift VR headset late last year, there was little indication as to why so much cash was being thrown around all of a sudden. Now it would appear that this new money may not be entirely down to new video game applications, but rather, a larger focus on non-game applications for the tech. Car manufacturer Ford, for example, is exploring ways to utilize the Rift to build its future vehicles, according to Fast Company. Ford is using a combination of Rift and motion-capture technology from Vicon to more rapidly prototype cars in virtual reality. Engineers are able to see a car design in a 3D environment, and even colloborate with other engineers halfway around the world. The company has already been using computer-aided design for its cars for a while, of course, but it says that this combination of Rift and Vicon is far cheaper than its current setup, costing around $30,000 for the required tech.