With all the recent interest in augmented reality (AR) and the metaverse, auto companies are looking to incorporate AR elements into vehicles. A growing number of in-car infotainment systems, for example, now have AR integrated as part of their augmented GPS navigation systems, displaying holographic arrows in a live image from the front of the car.

Some automakers are trying to take this adoption of AR a step further by bringing the metaverse to vehicles. Your introduction to the in-car experience could be through interactive holographic windshields or by projecting avatars onto passenger seats. While this presents opportunities for entertainment and education, it also opens the door to distractions and even more widespread publicity.

The use of AR in cars has been limited until recently. The first AR head-up display (HUD) was the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system, produced in the Mercedes A-Class in 2018. Its GPS visibly highlights junction exits and final destinations on screens along with potential hazards such as potholes, pedestrians, and other vehicles on the road. Since its introduction, other companies, including BMW, Continental, and Hyundai, have introduced AR into their own infotainment systems.

There are no commercially available vehicles yet with AR HUDs directly on the windshields, however there are a few concept cars that have showcased the technology. WayRay, for example, has developed Holograktor, described as a “metaverse on wheels” due to its heavy reliance on AR technology. It is a prototype electric car that can be driven remotely from an AR module by a qualified driver, giving the car a sense of autonomy and eschewing currently immature fully autonomous driving systems. WayRay founder and CEO Vitaly Ponomarev said he expects the car to launch, possibly with a major automaker, by 2025, but also said Holograktor could be used as an example for other OEMs who want to make cars. similar with WayRay’s AR. technology.

The car promises a host of entertainment opportunities: its seats come equipped with joysticks that can be used to play games on the windshield’s AR HUDs with others in the metaverse, and it even comes preloaded with a Guitar Hero-style online karaoke game. . The advertising opportunities are also there. According to Ponomarev, “The idea is that you can choose Uber Black, Uber SUV or Uber Holograktor. And if you choose the Holograktor, your trip will be subsidized with sponsored content, so the price will be much lower.

It’s not clear whether consumers will want the ads to be displayed so conspicuously on their trips. It can be helpful to have some sponsored content on your windshields if you’re actively searching for a restaurant or a museum, for example, but otherwise having ads constantly on your periphery could interrupt the privacy some people seek in the ride-sharing experience. .

Since one of the selling points of the Holograktor is that it learns your routes, habits and preferences, and can even anticipate your next trip, the issue of data usage needs to be addressed. With the ever-growing catalog of misconduct by Internet companies, regulators and consumers alike are beginning to have second thoughts about how data is handled. If Holograktor provides the data it collects to technology companies and other advertisers, it could lead to highly personalized and possibly invasive ads. With public trust in Big Tech companies at incredibly low levels, it’s unclear whether consumers would be willing to give up this data for a reduced travel price.

Nissan has also moved into the metaverse with its I2V Invisible to Visible AR concept, which it launched at CES 2019. The system highlights obstacles that may not be obvious to the driver via an in-vehicle display to improve safety and security. driver comfort. If the driver wears AR glasses, the system also allows people to appear in the vehicle’s passenger seat as a 3D avatar. It could be a family member or friend to accompany you on a long trip, or a local guide to answer questions and give recommendations. Nissan hopes to implement the technology in its vehicles starting in 2025.

Again, the new social and educational opportunities that could come from this are exciting. By merging the real and virtual worlds, people at home can join friends on trips anywhere in the world. Those usually long and boring trips can be interspersed with ups and downs of your loved ones. Drivers can experience the world around them through the eyes of a local, or even in a completely different time period through AR overlays.

However, the main problem, and the most general barrier to the widespread adoption of the metaverse and AR in vehicles, is that being able to see the outside world clearly is a critical safety issue when a human is driving. If the AR overlay is not accurate enough, drivers could be wrong and end up in accidents. If overlays are too distracting, drivers can miss important information about obstacles and obstructions. These issues should be of central importance to automotive companies looking to adopt AR in vehicles.

Emilio Campa is an Analyst of the Thematic Team of the GlobalData consulting and data analytics company.