You haven't seen vehicle design until you've seen it on a "powerwall."

What sounds like an extreme sport maneuver or a video game challenge actually is helping accelerate the globalization of product development and market research at Ford Motor Company.

Ford is completing installation of several state-of-the-art digital powerwall studios at its Product Development Center (PDC) in Dearborn that will help get products to market faster.

Powerwalls use high definition (HD) rear-screen projection to enable review and refinement of full-scale computer-rendered vehicle designs prior to fabricating physical properties in foam, clay and fiberglass.

In addition, Ford Market Research uses mobile powerwall technology to "test" vehicle designs, including potential global products, with consumers around the world.

More than ever before, consumer insights drive vehicle design.

"This technology is an integral daily working tool that enables us to bring more of our vehicle design processes into the digital environment," said Peter Horbury, Ford's executive director of Design for North America.

"It expands our capability and has the potential to save a significant amount of time and money as we continue to globalize product development."