An AR-Enabled Interactive Car Door to Extend In-Car Infotainment Systems for Rear Seat Passengers

Modern cars create a high-tech interactive space by providing entertainment and information functionalities to the driver and partly to the passengers. By introducing rear-seat infotainment systems especially in luxury cars, manufacturers started to also focus on the passenger’s experience. However, such systems offer mainly standard entertainment and internet-based services. To enhance the user experience of rear seat passengers, we present the concept of an interactive car door that enables passengers to engage with and explore their surroundings. Our system consists of an interactive door panel that shows points of interest along the progressing route, more detailed information is shown on the AR-enabled side window in addition to the rear seat display. Results from a pilot study (n=11) show that our concept leads towards a positive user experience. The qualitative feedback reveals that such an interactive car door helps to make riding as a passenger more attractive and pleasant.