Abstract
There is a lot of excitement to welcome virtual and mixed-reality experiences in the automotive industry and in particular in automotive design. Many agencies and car design studios, from design consultancies, like Teague, to OEMs like BMW or Volkswagen, are using more and more digital tools in the process of designing vehicles. This doesn't surprise due to the labor-intensive, time-consuming and costly implementation of making models at scale, of testing physical volumes or interior layouts, etc.. With the emergence of digital technologies into the car, there are even more variables to contribute to car design, for example, dynamic lighting outside the vehicle to communicate the car intent, or autonomous systems' behaviors like automated parking features; these contribute to the already complex equation of creating a vehicle.
Mixed reality technologies are emerging as valuable aids in this arduous process, enabling designers in the automotive industry to gain rapid insights into the look and feel of a car without the need for physical prototypes. However, these technologies extend far beyond their current role as mere tools. The remarkable ability to seamlessly transcend the reality of sitting in an empty room into the intricately designed interior of a car makes us imagine what this technology could do and its potential if used by passengers in a moving vehicle and transport them not just from point A to point B but transforming that journey into a voyage through captivating fictional virtual worlds.
Very early examples of augmented and virtual reality experiences are starting to appear, mostly in one-off installations (e.g. Nissan Leaf Innovation Station at O2 Arena in London), in concept cars like the Renault Symbioz, or in promotional videos (e.g. Castrol EDGE Virtual Drift). This article ventures beyond the confines of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality labels and explores which process and consideration can lead to the creation of an immersive experience for passengers of today's and tomorrow's cars.
In the near future where autonomous systems will ease the need to be behind a steering wheel, the layout of the cockpit can radically be redesigned, unlocking new forms of entertainment and opportunities for productive activities. The article presents a specific case study of creating a mixed reality experience, focusing on the essential elements that materialize extended reality (XR) within the automotive context.
By exploring the transformative possibilities of virtual and mixed reality, this article offers invaluable insights for designers, researchers, and automotive enthusiasts seeking to harness the potential of XR to shape the future of passenger experiences in automobiles.
Unpublished.