The designs and aesthetics of Augmented Reality Head-Up Displays

Abstract: Head-up displays convey important information to the viewer: from time and weather conditions to GPS navigation and proactive danger alerts. This information can be key to significantly improving driving experience from merely making it more enjoyable to saving lives. Taking its roots in the military field,  Augmented Reality Head-Up Displays (AR HUD) is now being piloted and commercialised for upper-class consumers, such as the new Mercedes S-Class. It is easy to imagine how companies would want to take the next step and make these technologies even more accessible. However, one of the main challenges of diffusing these solutions lie within flaws of its visual design that can be perceived as distracting or exhausting. The purpose of this article has been to investigate the perception drivers have on AR HUDs aesthetic design and identify three areas for improvement: "style-cleaningness", flexible colour scheme and optimal positioning. This has been done through interviews and analysing the answers. Together with the answers and related research I have drawn conclusions and made suggestions of improvement. The results indicate a positive opinion of the technology and the potential it has for driver safety.