(November 6, 2011) DETROIT — In a family vehicle like the Chevrolet Traverse crossover, abundant storage can help keep the peace among young rear-seat passengers on long drives. General Motors designers and engineers used the latest 3D virtual reality technology and customer feedback to make it so.

GM Director of Design Quality Matthew Davis says the key lies in understanding where a customer wants certain features to be located. Customers were asked very early in the Traverse’s development about what they carry in their car and where they want to store it. A decade ago, customers wanted places to store CDs and Gameboys. Today, the convenient storage of smartphones, MP3 players and electronic tablets is what matters.

Customer feedback helped engineers develop an optional family-friendly second-row armrest which unfolds into a tray table while leaving ample storage space for rear-seat passengers.

Matthew Davis, Director Global Quality, in the Virtual Vehicle Engineering Center at General Motors Tech Center.

Recognizing that drivers and passengers riding “shot gun” need a variety of things within arm’s reach, designers created the front center armrest to slide fore and aft, and multiple storage bins can be raised out of the way for unobstructed access to the covered storage bin within the center console.

Keeping the little ones in mind, the design and engineering team considered customer feedback when positioning the cup holders molded in the doors. They were  designed to fit various shapes and sizes of bottles and Sippy cups while remaining within reach of children sitting in the rear with or without a car seat.

In a family-friendly focus group, children were asked to say where they wanted the DVD screen located, and their input was used in determining its position.

Designers and engineers used a high-powered 3D virtual reality system called Cave Automated Virtual Environment, or CAVE, to develop interior dimensions and design ideas.

“We’re looking for ideas on where we can store items inside the vehicle while maintaining a clean, uncluttered interior with fresh industry leading design appeal,” said Davis. The CAVE allows his team to explore ideas and make changes to the vehicle’s interior in virtual reality, well before production.

The efforts have been noticed in automotive and other reviews of Traverse, such as one in 2010 by parents.com, the website of Parents magazine.

“You can get a week's-vacation worth of luggage into the rear cargo well, and with the seats folded down this vehicle could almost double as a delivery van,” parents.com said in rating Traverse among its best family cars.

“My job is to act as the voice of the customer, so getting customer input early is essential,” said Davis, the design quality director. “As a dad, I’m keenly tuned in to what kinds of storage features are needed in a vehicle.”