3M | ARHUD Demo
3M is known for producing innovative products across industries, such as adhesives, abrasives, tapes, films, dental and medical products, and more. In the automotive sector, they develop a wide range of products, many of which are not immediately apparent to the average driver. Our task in this project was to demonstrate in a VR headset how 3M optical films can improve and enhance the performance of a Head-Up Display (HUD) in the near future.
To showcase 3M’s research and developments, we created a simulation showing the difference between a traditional HUD and a future AR HUD with 3M’s innovative multi-layer optical film (MOF) reflective polarizers. The 3M enhanced AR HUD will allow a larger eye box than current technology, allowing foreground and background objects to be displayed across the width and height of the windscreen. We also simulate the effectiveness of films in reducing reflectivity and ghosting, providing a clearer view of important data.
Our car also features a smart rear-view mirror and a-pillar display, replacing traditional mirrors. To further demonstrate 3M’s research, we built a Virtual Reality simulation to allow viewers to experience the difference between a conventional HUD and an AR HUD in a more immersive way.
360º Video Experience
To ensure a realistic experience, we created a hybrid environment that combines 360º rendered animation and real-time components. We pre-rendered the background outside the car using CG for more stunning visuals by utilizing lighting and rendering in a traditional 3D process.. Our experience was designed for the Quest 2 headset, and that hybrid approach allowed us to work around the limitations of the headset to provide the best user experience.
The car’s actions were then aligned to match the timings of the background video. As the vehicle moves along the predetermined road, real-time events occur throughout the ride to provide information about the technologies that 3M enhances.
To accommodate the multiple “screens” in the experience (the outside world, the rear-view and side-view mirrors, and overlay effects), we created a video atlas to use as separate textures for each of these objects.
