Publication Date

2025

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Michael Galloway, Leak Spaking, Mark Simpson, Rong Yang

Degree Program

School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Degree Type

Master of Science

Abstract

Since the advent of the modern automobile, manufacturers have provided means of tracking various critical data points associated with automobile operation, with the most prominent and standardized method being the instrument cluster. These data points include, but are not limited to, automobile speed, engine speed, fuel level, oil temperature, radiator (water) temperature, and battery charge. While this data is updated in real-time as the automobile is running, traditional instrument clusters cannot be modified or adjusted to the automobile driver’s needs, unless extensive after-market modifications are made. These modifications can be expensive, and require great understanding of the automobile’s assembly.

Alongside automobile instrumentation, the Heads Up Display (HUD) evolved from a rudimentary targeting mechanism on firearms and military implements, to advanced electronic systems in military and civilian aircraft, to its inclusion in some automobiles. Automotive HUDs provide a real-time interface, which overlays onto a visible field of operation (i.e. the windshield in front of the driver). Unfortunately, this interface is fixed in information, much like the instrument cluster.

In this paper, a dynamic, Augmented Reality (AR)-based HUD software system is proposed, named DashAR. The DashAR System combines the visual elements found in aircraft and existing automotive HUDs, and the data points displayed in traditional automobile instrumentation. Furthermore, DashAR can be customized to include information not typically included in automobile instrumentation, such as oxygen sensor readings and ambient air temperature. The object of DashAR is to provide automobile drivers the opportunity to use the dynamic nature of the solution to create customized HUD layouts, tailored to their specific needs, for any automobile supporting On-Board Diagnostics II (OBDII) regardless of its age.

Disciplines

Automotive Engineering | Computer Engineering | Computer Sciences | Digital Communications and Networking | Engineering | Graphics and Human Computer Interfaces | Software Engineering | Systems Architecture

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