Augmented Journeys: Interactive Points of Interest for In-Car Augmented Reality

TL;DR

This paper explores the design and evaluation of an in-car augmented reality system that enables passengers to interact with Points of Interest using eye-gaze and pinch gestures, assessing visualization methods and hardware limitations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel in-car AR system with multiple visualization techniques and evaluates its feasibility and user preferences in real driving conditions.

Findings

List visualization was preferred for exploring POIs.

Participants accepted the AR system for in-car use.

Vehicle movement affects 3D interaction accuracy.

Abstract

As passengers spend more time in vehicles, the demand for non-driving related tasks (NDRTs) increases. In-car Augmented Reality (AR) has the potential to enhance passenger experiences by enabling interaction with the environment through NDRTs using world-fixed Points of Interest (POIs). However, the effectiveness of existing interaction techniques and visualization methods for in-car AR remains unclear. Based on a survey (N=110) and a pre-study (N=10), we developed an interactive in-car AR system using a video see-through head-mounted display to engage with POIs via eye-gaze and pinch. Users could explore passed and upcoming POIs using three visualization techniques: List, Timeline, and Minimap. We evaluated the system's feasibility in a field study (N=21). Our findings indicate general acceptance of the system, with the List visualization being the preferred method for exploring POIs. Additionally, the study highlights limitations of current AR hardware, particularly the impact of vehicle movement on 3D interaction.