Exploring the Usage and Potential of Augmented Reality at Sea

Abstract

This master’s thesis explores the potential of augmented reality as a navigational aid in maritime environments. The aim has been to investigate how AR technology can improve safety, user experience, and efficiency for boat users. The project has been carried out in collaboration with Volvo Penta and Chalmers University of Technology and follows an iterative product development process with a strong focus on user needs. Data to aid the development was collected through surveys, interviews, and a focus group involving both experienced and novice boat users. Based on this input, three conceptual solutions were developed and evaluated using Pugh and Kesselring matrices. The most promising concept, “The All-in-One AR Assistant”, was selected for further development. A detailed requirements list was created to define functional needs and guide the development of a minimum viable product. Two prototypes were developed in Figma and Unity for the Magic Leap 2 AR headset and tested in realistic marine environments. The results indicate that AR can enhance situational awareness, support decisionmaking, and offer a more intuitive navigation experience, especially in low-visibility or high-stress scenarios. The study also identifies key design challenges, such as information filtering, user customisation, and the potential pitfall of overreliance on technology. The study concludes that AR shows strong potential for marine navigation, although a lot of further development in both hardware and software as well as user testing is needed to make an AR martime product ready for the market