Virtual reality in your vehicle

The convenience and ease of charging your vehicle from home means no petrol station stops, always setting off with a full battery, and no more guilt from generating large emissions with the combustion of fuel. Drivers can feel good knowing they are making a sustainable choice when doing everyday commutes, and the smooth driving experience enabled by having no gears to change is enough to make anyone want to pop out for a drive. As Tesla has gained dominance as a market leader within the electric vehicle industry in recent years, other companies will be doing all they can to keep up.

But what if cars of the future could feel like an extension of the living room? Cars with autonomous qualities exist today, with hands-free steering wheels and advanced hazard perception. By 2030, completely autonomous vehicles could be making their way to people’s homes, drastically changing the future of driving.

Summoning an autonomous vehicle to precise locations will take whistling the dog to a whole new level, as cars will be able to respond to a demand and arrive exactly when and where they are told without needing a driver. This presents opportunities for even more emerging technology, such as types of quantum sensors known as atomic clocks, that use connection to satellites around the planet and latency calculations to position themselves in precise locations within just centimetres of accuracy.

As autonomy develops in different stages, it will be increasingly possible to touch up makeup on the way to work, take a scenic lunch break with a book, or be driven to sleep. In-car entertainment will also be possible with the installation of highly developed automotive displays, which use micro-LEDs to ensure the best quality and brightest displays for passengers to receive information directly in front of them. Windscreens and side windows could act as cinemas or touchscreens to play games and browse the web, while also offering a semi-transparent annotated view of the street, to enjoy entertainment while engaging with the moving world outside the car. IDTechEx’s report ‘Automotive Displays 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Opportunities’ delves deeper into these features and explores market predictions and intricate technologies that make them possible.

Companies such as Audi are seeking to take these possibilities a step further with the development of virtual reality within their cars, bringing gaming and fun to ordinary experiences and a modernised aesthetic to the car’s interior. Who wouldn’t want to take a mini holiday from their seat in the car?

Vehicles of the future will also be able to look after humans and prioritise their safety from inside the car. Pontosense are developing monitors to detect heartbeats and movements of children left in the car and will be able to detect the driver's welfare, checking for potential signs of intoxication, stress, or tiredness. These advancements have the potential to reduce accidents and prevent the cost of mistakes so people can feel safe in their cars.

Electric cars are already providing exciting new driving experiences, and this will only get better with the introduction of autonomous vehicles in the future. Journeys will be something to get excited about as an opportunity to relax and recharge while traveling to a desired destination. The safety features and entertainment possibilities within these future vehicles ensure that cars will be a place for every passenger to feel comfortable and secure.

For more information on electric and autonomous vehicles, see the IDTechEx reports, ‘Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea, and Air 2024-2044’ and ‘Autonomous Cars, Robotaxis and Sensors 2024-2044’.