CarKar: In-Vehicle Gesture Control & Ambient Visualization System
CarKar is an IoT-enabled in-vehicle system designed to empower passengers to control music without distracting the driver. By utilizing gesture recognition and cloud-based communication, the device allows both front and rear-seat passengers to adjust volume and switch tracks.
My Role
Interaction Designer & Creative Technologist.
Skill Set
Interaction Design (IxD), Physical Computing, IoT Prototyping, Systems Thinking, 3D Modeling.
Background
In modern vehicles, entertainment controls often distract the driver or are inaccessible to rear-seat passengers. Touchscreens require visual attention, which is a safety hazard for drivers.
Design Goal
We aimed to create a Digital Ecosystem in which devices communicate throughout the vehicle to synchronize music control and ambient lighting.
Project Objectives
Gesture Control
Create a sensor-based input system to replace physical buttons/screens.
Music Visualization
Engineer a system where lighting reacts dynamically to audio frequencies.
System Integration
Design the physical housing and manage power distribution for multiple components.
Architecture & Connectivity
We designed a dual-device architecture: one unit for the front seat and one for the back.
Process & Experiments
Gestures
Visualizing Sound
Iterative Prototyping
Outcome
The final prototype successfully demonstrated a functional in-car ecosystem:
Cloud Synchronization
Successful low-latency communication between front and rear units.
Immersive Ambience
The LED rings reacted in real-time to the beat of the music, enhancing the passenger experience.
Safety & Usability
The gesture system effectively removed the need for passengers to reach for the dashboard or distract the driver.
Reflection
Technical Constraints as Design Drivers
This project taught me that hardware constraints must be addressed early in the design process. The failure of the initial iOS app attempt was a valuable lesson in researching API limitations before development.
Systems Thinking
I learned to view the product not just as a standalone device, but as part of a larger "Anthropogenic Environment." By decentralizing control from the driver to the passengers, we altered the social dynamic of the car ride, making passengers active co-creators of the journey rather than passive observers.
Future Speculations
I envision integrating AI to analyze passenger behavior. For example, the system could detect if passengers are falling asleep and automatically dim the lights and lower the volume, creating a truly responsive and empathetic vehicle environment.
