Future Mobility Project 2 (2024-2025)
Projection car glass: A way to enhance the in-car experience by using different projections on the car roof
Collaboration with inalfa
Introduction
This study focuses on a core design question: how can advanced lighting solutions for panoramic sunroofs be utilised to enhance the in-vehicle user experience in Level 3 autonomous vehicles (over the next 7–10 years)? The research background highlights that, with the rise of the ‘Mobility as a Service’ concept and the diversification of users’ lifestyles, vehicle usage scenarios have expanded from daily commuting to diverse activities such as overnight camping, working from the car, and gaming and entertainment. Users’ growing demand for personalisation and ambience creation is driving automotive manufacturers to shift from a ‘mechanical-centred’ approach to a ‘user experience-centred’ one. At the same time, panoramic sunroofs are gradually becoming standard equipment in mid- to high-end electric vehicles, whilst in-car lighting design is evolving from basic illumination and aesthetic decoration towards ‘information interaction’ and ‘atmosphere creation’. To this end, this study adopted the Double Diamond model as its methodological framework and systematically explored innovative solutions for sunroof lighting through desk research, user journey mapping, workshop brainstorming, prototype testing and iterative evaluation. Specific design elements include: following a comparative technical review of four sunroof lighting technologies, a solution combining PDLC smart dimming glass with projection technology was selected—utilising the milky-white, opaque state of PDLC glass when de-energised as a projection screen; Through multiple rounds of workshops and user testing, nine projection themes suitable for different scenarios (such as commuting, camping, relaxation and entertainment) were selected and refined, including clear skies, starry skies, forests, underwater scenes, rhythmic music and virtual pets; two operating modes were also designed: manual (voice/touch) and automatic (AI-generated + scenario-aware). The core contribution of this design lies in the first systematic integration of projection technology with PDLC glass in a vehicle roof lighting scenario. This overcomes the technical limitation of traditional sunroof lighting, which can only ‘change colour’ but not ‘display patterns’, thereby enabling the creation of a highly personalised and context-adaptive in-car ambience. It provides a new pathway and empirical reference for the design of immersive experiences in future smart cockpits.
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Five-Dimensional Reflection
Business and Entrepreneurship
This study demonstrates a notable spirit of innovation at the business model level. The paper explicitly proposes three commercialisation strategies: a subscription model (monthly/annual payments), bundled sales (packaged with other services) and the integration of membership benefits; it also further elaborates on a differentiated pricing approach for the entry-level version (basic projector) and the high-end version (premium projector). This provides a framework for discussion regarding subsequent industrialisation.
Creativity and Aesthetics
This study demonstrates outstanding creativity, successfully expanding ‘sunroof lighting’ from traditional ‘static starry sky’ or ‘colour-changing ambient lighting’ modes into a wholly new design direction of ‘scenario-based dynamic projection’, reflecting a high degree of conceptual innovation. On the aesthetic front, the study utilised user testing to select projection content that elicited a high degree of aesthetic resonance, whilst identifying visual content that triggered negative emotions due to being ‘too realistic’, thereby revealing an intriguing pattern in virtual aesthetic experiences: ‘moderate unreality is preferable to hyper-realism’. However, current aesthetic exploration remains primarily focused on ‘content selection’ and has yet to establish systematic aesthetic design guidelines or stylistic frameworks (such as colour palettes, dynamic rhythms and compositional principles).
Math, Data and Computing
The study collected quantitative evaluation data using the UEQ questionnaire and carried out basic statistical analysis and visualisation. Furthermore, the study mentioned that the projected content was generated using AI (via the Keling AI tool), demonstrating the application of generative AI tools in creative content production.
Technology and Realization
The study compared existing sunroof lighting technologies using a technical research system and, based on the measured results showing that ‘projection centre intensity: white background > blue background > black background’, demonstrated the technical feasibility of using PDLC glass as a projection screen. However, the projector used in the tests was a standard model, and did not take into account the reliability, cost and size issues associated with high-precision projection equipment—which are precisely the key technical bottlenecks preventing this solution from being implemented in actual in-vehicle applications. Furthermore, as the sample was too heavy to be installed in the actual position of the simulated sunroof for testing, this affected the external validity of the experimental results.
User and Society
By constructing user journey maps (involving empathy, experience, imagination and conceptualisation from a first-person perspective), this study systematically analysed users’ functional requirements for sunroof lighting across multiple scenarios—including commuting, rest, leisure and sleep—thereby embodying a user-centred design approach. During workshops and subsequent testing, user preferences regarding projected content were gathered (for example, immersive natural scenes proved highly popular, whilst projections of clear skies—perceived as ‘too different from the real world’—met with resistance during daily commutes). This revealed the complex relationship between scenario suitability and users’ psychological acceptance, demonstrating the depth of insights at a societal level.
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