Vehicle Interior Virtual Environment

VIVE’s ambition is to reimagine the vehicle interior as a seamless immersive display environment, pushing the boundaries of XR-enabled human–technology interaction in automotive cabins by introducing a new paradigm of human-centric XR Head-Up Displays (XR-HUDs) for naturalistic, intuitive and safe driving experiences.VIVE will deliver two disruptive photonics and optics technologies: (i) a compact holographic projection unit, capable of low-latency, multi-plane 3D projections; and (ii) photonic films embedding diffractive and metasurface structures, to be applied onto dashboard and windscreen surfaces to redirect light precisely to the driver’s eyes, while remaining transparent, manufacturable at scale, and easy to install. These breakthroughs will overcome the inherent limits of current HUDs, unlocking wide field of view, large eyebox, adaptive brightness, robust colour reproduction and durable optical components fit for the demanding operation conditions of automotive environments. The XR-HUD will be orchestrated by a control unit to dynamically manage the flow of XR content based on real-time environment, context and driver state data.Human Factors and User-Centred Design principles will guide the development process, ensuring that ergonomics, inclusivity, and real user perception are embedded in every step. Validation will take place across three complementary pilots (static in-cabin integration, immersive driving simulation and controlled real driving experience) covering a wide set of driving scenarios to ensure results consistency. Technical performance metrics will be assessed alongside human factors (comfort, visibility, reaction time, attention, motion sickness, distraction), guaranteeing that VIVE delivers safer, more comfortable, and more immersive driving experiences. Leveraging VIVE technologies, human-centric XR solutions could also be developed for application across other sectors, thus cross-fertilisation will also be fostered during the project