By 2023, several automotive brands and tech companies have begun integrating AR glasses into the in-car experience. Brands like Rokid and Ideal focused on entertainment, enabling users to project media and games into AR headsets and control them via gesture or mobile phone.

‍Geely, in partnership with Meizu, took a system-level approach by connecting the Flyme OS with vehicles, smartphones, and AR glasses to create a seamless information and media ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Audi and Magic Leap showcased a high-end concept at CES 2023, demonstrating immersive MR navigation and spatial control using Magic Leap 2. These cases reveal a growing trend of leveraging AR for in-car productivity, immersion, and intelligent integration—yet challenges remain in consistency, context awareness, and user adoption across diverse environments.

This project was designed to show case in CES 2024 in Las Vegas, prompting us to tailor an experience flow for future-focused travelers—professionals who expect comfort, connectivity, and innovation on the move. This context shaped our priorities toward immersive, responsive in-car AR interactions.

To support our concept, we developed a real-time AR pipeline integrating vehicle data, sensor fusion, and rendering. Content is processed through a Unity-based interface and streamed to the XReal glasses, enabling precise spatial overlays with low latency.

From phone pointers to spatial buttons, we tested a variety of input methods. Some were ruled out early, while others—like gaze and gesture—proved effective. Looking ahead, we see strong potential in more ambient, low-effort input methods—such as voice control and touch-sensitive fabric panels—tailored to the dynamic in-car context.

To evaluate the legibility and spatial clarity of our AR navigation elements, I built a procedural visualization tool using OpenStreetMap data, enabling real-time previews within Blender. This allowed us to test design decisions against realistic environments, assessing how our UI would perform under motion and through the lens of transparent AR displays.

While a day mode was initially explored, it posed significant readability issues under bright lighting due to the see-through nature of AR glasses. Additionally, a darker visual system better adapts to the diverse range of interior materials and finishes across vehicles. We therefore shifted our focus toward optimizing for low-light conditions.

Given the limited field of view in current AR hardware, I explored four distinct edge treatments to guide peripheral awareness and improve spatial continuity. These designs were tested to evaluate which approach best balanced subtlety with navigational clarity.