By Bobby Carlton
Audi Design used Magic Leap 2 to develop a new AR-based driver interface inside of the car.
In January, Audi presented the Activesphere, a concept car that featured a new UI that was created using Magic Leap 2. The company’s Design Studio was responsible for developing the fourth of its sphere concept cars. The new UI concept, which was the focus of the studio’s work, uses augmented reality to transform the way drivers interact with the vehicle.
“Removing physical displays and touchscreens creates a new experience space for the passengers, while using the power of mixed reality opens up new possibilities to intuitively integrate them into the mobility ecosystem and it goes even beyond the car,” said Jan Pflueger, Creative Technologist at Audi Design.
In a recent announcement on the Magic Leap website, not only did Audi incorporate AR into their vehicle, but they also used AR to design it.
To create a dynamic and versatile interface that would transform the way drivers interact with the car, Audi utilized Magic Leap 2 to create a new UI that is designed to be both visually and emotionally engaging. Unlike traditional dashboards, the new interface is built on a flexible and reconfigurable platform that can be used to seamlessly integrate digital content into the car’s interior.
The new interface is designed to be flexible and usable, and it can be used to access features such as the location, drive mode, and destination. Through the use of Magic Leap 2, Audi was able to create a unique and accurate environment that allows users to interact with the car’s information zones.
Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development: “The sphere concept vehicles show our vision for the premium mobility of the future. We are experiencing a paradigm shift, especially in the interior of our future Audi models. The interior becomes a place where the passengers feel at home and can connect to the world outside at the same time. The most important technical innovation in the Audi activesphere is our adaptation of augmented reality for mobility. Audi dimensions creates the perfect synthesis between the surroundings and digital reality.”
Through the use of eye tracking and hand gesture recognition, Audi was also able to create a virtual environment that is designed to provide users with a more accurate and comprehensive view of the car’s data. Although the content initially appears only as a visual display, the cluster of data can be expanded to provide more detail and allow users to interact with it through gestures.
The car’s functions can be operated by simply following the gaze of the user. On the other hand, the user interface based on MR responds to changes in real time and can be used to interact with the vehicle from a variety of positions. One of the most user-friendly features of the new interface is that it can move toward the user whenever they need to interact with it.
The company noted that the new system features a variety of innovative features, such as the ability to be used with mixed reality headsets for each passenger and driver. In addition, users can access a digital ecosystem while they’re in the activesphere. The project is the first time that a company has used a pioneering technology to create a new user experience.
In an official press release, Audi stated “With unprecedented optical precision, highest resolution, and excellent contrast, the system brings control surfaces and displays, invisible to the unaided eye, into the user’s field of vision while behind the steering wheel.”
Through the use of augmented reality (AR), Audi was able to realize its interior design concept, which is characterized by a minimalist yet elegant look. The various functions of the car were not only organized in a way that’s more natural and user-friendly, but they were also integrated into the visual environment.
The use of Magic Leap 2 enabled the company to map the interior of the car using millimeter precision. This technology allows the content to be displayed according to the individual needs of the user.
In addition, the company noted that the use of augmented reality technology can still be used to enhance the car’s interior design. For instance, it can be used to show high-quality 3D topography images and other information on the navigation system. In the event of a road hazard, the system can also display warnings and advisories.
For more information, check out the Magic Leap announcement here.
