Virtual and augmented reality: the new technologies used by Yamaha in motorcycle production

The manufacturer has reached the milestone of 5 million motorcycles produced in Brazil and launched the electric scooter, with an eye on the goal of carbon neutrality by 2035

THE Yamaha recently celebrated the milestone of 5 million motorcycles produced in Brazil. At its Manaus (AM) plant, the automaker is investing in cutting-edge technologies that help accelerate and improve production processes, with the implementation of augmented reality (AR) AND virtual reality (VR).

In the Manaus unit, which has 125 thousand square meters distributed in 17 warehouses, the welding center, for example, uses augmented reality to train new welders. The new painting space, which opened in September this year, uses virtual reality to offer total immersion to operators.

During a visit to the Yamaha factory, the team of Byte You can see how the painting simulator works, which uses virtual reality to paint parts such as tanks and bumpers, allowing employees an outside view of the paint job to identify possible errors and correct them. “If we can be efficient here, we won’t have any difficulty in the actual painting. If you see yourself painting from the outside, it’s quite efficient,” an employee comments to Byte.

“Yamaha has always prided itself on being a pioneer in various technological aspects. We were pioneers in the production of motorcycles with electronic fuel injection and one of the first companies to introduce ABS brakes. So, the technological part has always been a differentiator for us, since our origin in Japan, we always think about the next level in terms of technology,” explains Rafael Lourenço, Head of Institutional Relations at Yamaha Motor do Brasil.

Population formation along the river

Since 2015, Yamaha and SENAI Amazonas have partnered to promote professional technical education in riverside communities in the interior of the Amazon. In these communities the main means of transport are boats, therefore technical training in the mechanics of outboard motors was chosen.

The course offers an alternative to generating employment and income for qualified mechanics; and promotes regional integration, guaranteeing the transport of these populations who have rivers as their main means of transport and boats as their main, often only, means of transport.

Since the start of the project, around 700 young people have been trained. Of these, 261, or 38%, were hired by Yamaha. The rest went to work in other companies in the sector, in dealerships or workshops. Currently among the employees holding leadership positions in the company there are former students of the project.

Classes take place on SENAI’s Samaúma training boat, which also offers training in management, IT, clothing, electricity, solar energy, nutrition, refrigeration and the use of heavy machinery.

The Samaúma school boat project has already covered 65 cities, 48 ​​in the state of Amazonas, eight in Pará, four in Amapá, two in Acre, one in Roraima and one in Rondônia.

Sustainability and ESG

In addition to relying on technology, the Yamaha industrial complex promotes sustainable production processes. The company uses recycled water in the painting process of its products and reusable roof racks for transporting motorcycles.

In use since 2014, these racks have prevented the generation of over 24,000 tonnes of waste since their implementation.

“Yamaha has made a public commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050. So we have scopes 1 and 2, our goal is to become carbon neutral in our operations by 2035; all Yamaha factories around the world are in a race against emissions of carbon considering this objective, which is extremely complex, we have already launched our first electric motorcycle here in Brazil”, said Rafael Lourenço.

Inspired by technology and sustainability, the company recently announced the launch of Neo’s Connected, its new electric scooter. The model features connectivity provided by the Y-Connect system, which allows the user to connect to the scooter via smartphone, offering information on battery status, vehicle location and maintenance notifications.

The digital panel also displays real-time data, such as battery charge level, speed and even notifications of calls and messages received on the connected mobile phone. Read more here.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.