System for design, review and / or presentation of prototype solution for vehicle, corresponding operation method and computer program product

Abstract

To provide a plurality of adjustable physical devices (a floor, seats, a steering wheel, etc.,) and an electronic system for the control and / or use thereof.SOLUTION: A system 100 includes: one or more optical base stations 404 arranged at four corners of a floor 8 of a vehicle that can move vertically via one or more actuators, to detect positions of hands of a user or objects 408 including a headset 402; and an electronic control system comprising a driver unit, a control unit, and a processing unit. The driver unit provides an operation command to the actuators, receives position data of the objects from the actuators, and determines positions of the objects relative to the headset. The control unit receives feedback state and position data from the driver unit. The processing unit receives positions of the objects relative to the headset from the driver unit and generates virtual representation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present specification relates to a system for designing, developing, studying and / or presenting design and / or prototype solutions for a vehicle (e.g., including exterior and / or interior features of the vehicle), the system including a plurality of adjustable physical devices (e.g., a floor, a pair of seats, a front head including a steering wheel) and an electronic system for managing and / or utilizing them. [Background technology]

[0002] The above-mentioned system is known in the art, for example from International Patent Application (PCT Application) PCT / IB2021 / 058845 (not yet published at the time of filing the present application).

[0003] Specifically, such known systems include a plurality of physical devices, an electronic control unit (e.g., a CPU), and a display and control device. The display and control device includes at least one virtual reality or augmented reality display that can be worn by a user. The physical supports are movable and adjustable by a plurality of respective actuators. The electronic control unit is configured to generate a digital representation or digital model of a vehicle prototype, and the positions of the physical supports are associated with the positions of corresponding digital supports in the digital model. The control unit is configured to perform at least one of the following operations: actuating one or more actuators to adjust the placement of the physical supports to defined positions, and / or displaying the digital supports at positions corresponding to the positions of the respective physical supports via the display and control device. The defined positions are set by a user via the display and control device. The positions of the physical supports are set by actuating the actuators.

[0004] Properly matching the placement of physical supports with the placement of their digital representations in the digital model improves the user experience, enabling vehicle designers to maximize the benefits of the digital environment during the vehicle design phase and allowing customers to accurately explore and / or validate design prototypes without having to rely on full-scale, traditional mock-up vehicles.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide such known mixed physical / digital systems with improved matching between the physical and digital models. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] International Patent Application No. PCT / IB2021 / 058845 Summary of the Invention

[0007] It is an object of one or more embodiments herein to provide such an improved system.

[0008] According to one or more embodiments, such an object may be achieved by a system having the features set forth in the claims.

[0009] One or more embodiments may relate to a corresponding method of operation.

[0010] One or more embodiments may relate to a computer program product, the product comprising portions of software code that are loadable into the memory of at least one processing circuit (e.g., MCU / CPU) and that perform the operations of a method when the product is executed on the at least one processing circuit. As used herein, reference to such a computer program product is understood to be equivalent to reference to a computer-readable medium comprising instructions for controlling a processing system to coordinate the performance of a method according to one or more embodiments. The reference to "at least one" processing circuit is intended to emphasize that one or more embodiments may be implemented in a modular and / or distributed manner.

[0011] The claims are an integral part of the technical teachings provided herein with respect to the embodiments.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, a system for designing, exploring, and / or presenting a vehicle prototype solution includes a plurality of hardware components of a vehicle interior, the hardware components being movable and / or adjustable to different positions via a plurality of respective actuators. The system includes a virtual or augmented reality headset wearable by a user, the headset configured to display to the user a virtual representation of a plurality of virtual components corresponding to the plurality of hardware components. The system includes a plurality of object detection sensors configured to detect the position of one or more objects within a region of interest, the one or more objects including the user's hands and / or the headset. The system includes an electronic control system including a driver unit, a control unit, and a processing unit. The driver unit is coupled to the actuators to provide actuation commands to the actuators and / or receive position data from the actuators, and is coupled to the plurality of object detection sensors to receive data indicative of the position of the one or more objects within the region of interest. The driver unit is configured to perform sensor data integration processing on the data indicative of the position of the one or more objects to determine the position of the one or more objects relative to the headset. The control unit is coupled to the driver unit to send commands to the driver unit and receive feedback state and position data from the driver unit. The processing unit is configured to receive from the driver unit the position of one or more objects relative to the headset and to generate a virtual representation displayed by the headset in response.

[0013] Thus, one or more embodiments facilitate improving the accuracy of matching between a physical vehicle mockup and a corresponding virtual mockup displayed to a user.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the plurality of object detection sensors comprises at least one of an optical tracking device, preferably a six-degree-of-freedom optical tracking device, an inertial measurement unit coupled to a headset, and a device configured to detect the position of a user's hand.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the plurality of object detection sensors include one or more cameras, an inertial measurement unit coupled to the headset, and a set of optical sensors. The driver unit is configured to determine a first position of the headset in response to data from the optical sensors smoothed in response to data from the inertial measurement unit, and to determine a second position of the headset in response to data from the one or more cameras. The driver unit is further configured to compare the first position of the headset with the second position of the headset to calculate a headset placement error, and to subtract the placement error from the determined positions of the one or more objects relative to the headset to generate corrected positions of the one or more objects relative to the headset. The processing unit is configured to generate a virtual representation displayed by the headset in response to the corrected positions.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the plurality of hardware components includes at least one of a floor, at least one seat, a front head, a steering wheel attached to the front head, at least one pedal positioned below the front head, and one or more armrests.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the control unit is configured to receive from a user, via a user interface, a set of data indicative of an expected position of an actuator that moves a hardware component, and to transmit the data indicative of the expected position of the actuator to a driver unit, which is configured to provide actuation commands to the actuator to adjust the actuator to the expected position.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the control unit is configured to receive from a user via a user interface a set of data indicative of an expected position of a hardware component. The control unit is configured, in response to the data indicative of the expected position of the hardware component, to determine a corresponding set of data indicative of an expected position of an actuator that moves the hardware component and to send the data indicative of the expected position of the actuator to a driver unit. The driver unit is configured to provide actuation commands to the actuator to adjust the actuator to the expected position.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the control unit is configured to read a set of data indicative of expected positions of actuators that move the hardware components from a data file and to send the data indicative of the expected positions of the actuators to a driver unit, which is configured to provide actuation commands to the actuators to adjust the actuators to the expected positions.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the control unit includes a user interface and is configured to show, via the user interface, an image representing the current location of the hardware component superimposed on an image representing the assumed location of the hardware component. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided purely as non-limiting examples.

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic front perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic rear perspective view illustrating another embodiment of a system according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating various components of a system according to the present invention and its electronic control system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the possible operation of the system according to the invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is another schematic diagram illustrating the possible operation of the system according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] 1 and 2 are examples of possible embodiments of a system 100 for integrating physical and virtual environments for the design, development, review and / or presentation of vehicle style prototypes.

[0024] The physical environment of the system 100 of FIG. 1 includes a floor 8 that can be moved vertically via one or more actuators. For example, two pairs of actuators 9, 10, 11, and 12 can be provided and positioned at the four corners of the rectangular floor 8. The floor 8 is provided with a pair of front openings 22 for accommodating a pair of front seats 1 and 2 and a pair of rear openings 23 for accommodating a pair of rear seats 3 and 4. Each seat is provided with a respective power and adjustment device 13 that can move the seat to different positions. The physical environment can further include a front head 5 that includes a steering wheel 6. The steering wheel 6 is also provided with a respective power and adjustment device that can move and adjust its position. The physical environment can further include a rear head 7. The physical environment can further include one or more armrests 40 (e.g., positioned between each pair of seats and / or to the side of each seat) equipped with pressure sensors 41 suitable for providing ergonomic feedback to the system's electronic control system.

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of a system 100 for integrating a physical environment and a virtual environment for designing a vehicle style prototype. Components identical or similar to those already described are designated by the same reference numerals. The system 100 of FIG. 2 includes only a pair of seats 1 and 2. Additionally, FIG. 2 illustrates a pair of vehicle pedals 15 positioned below the front head 5 (e.g., along the steering wheel 6), the positions of which can also be adjusted via respective actuators; an actuator 14 for moving and adjusting the position of the steering wheel 6; a screen 46 positioned on the front head 5; a virtual or augmented reality visor 44; and an electronic control device (e.g., a tablet) 45. It will be understood that any embodiment of the present invention may include the pedals 15, the actuators 14, the screen 46, the virtual or augmented reality visor 44, and the control device 45, even though not shown in FIG. 1 .

[0026] Each of the seats 1, 2, 3, 4 can be moved and adjusted along three orthogonal axes X, Y, Z, as disclosed in the above-cited international patent applications. The movement of the seats 1, 2, 3, 4, as well as the movement of other movable parts of the physical environment, such as the pedals 15, steering wheel 6 and / or armrests 40, is controlled by an electronic control system, as disclosed further below.

[0027] The embodiment of the design / development framework described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 can be used in at least two modes of operation.

[0028] In a first mode of operation, suitable for example for presenting a new automobile model, a user (e.g., an automobile designer) can give commands (via the electronic control system) to set the positions of the aforementioned movable physical devices (e.g., seats, pedals, steering wheel, armrests, etc.) according to a particular layout of the vehicle. For example, the user can give the commands via a computer or tablet 45. A potential customer can view the design prototype, for example, using a virtual / augmented reality visor 44, and simultaneously try out the ergonomics and / or functionality of the controls and commands of the "mock-up" vehicle using the physical environment in which the physical devices are correspondingly positioned.

[0029] In a second mode of operation, the design / development framework disclosed herein allows a designer to use, for example, a virtual / augmented reality visor 44 to view a particular configuration of the physical elements of the vehicle being designed and simultaneously test its ergonomics and style, and if necessary, the designer can modify them in real time using, for example, a computer or tablet 45.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating certain hardware and software components of system 100 in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0031] System 100 includes hardware components 302 of a "physical" design environment, such as those substantially described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Additionally, system 100 includes one or more position-sensing and / or motion-tracking devices 304 configured to detect and / or track the position of objects within the space of the physical design environment. For example, devices 304 may include one or more optical tracking devices, such as six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) tracking devices, one or more inertial measurement units (IMUs), one or more devices configured to detect / track the position of a user's hands, etc. Additionally, system 100 includes an electronic driver unit 306 interconnecting hardware components 302 (e.g., actuators for a movable seat, steering wheel, pedals, armrests, etc.) and the detection / tracking devices 304. Specifically, driver unit 306 may send movement commands to the actuators, receive position data (e.g., feedback data) from the actuators, and / or receive position data from devices 304. The driver unit 306 also performs the integration of sensor data coming from the actuators and devices 304, as further disclosed below.

[0032] The system 100 further includes a remote electronic control unit 308 (e.g., a computer or workstation) configured to control the position of the physical component 302, as described further below. The control unit 308 is coupled to the driver unit 306 to send commands to and receive data from the driver unit 306. For example, the control unit 308 can send commands 308a to the driver unit 306, such as on or off commands, actuation commands (e.g., "Steering wheel: set angle to 45°"), etc. Additionally, the control unit 308 can receive state information 308b from the driver unit 306, such as current status information (e.g., "on," "off," "error status," "currently moving," etc.) and attitude information from one or more actuators (e.g., "Steering wheel: current angle 35.82°").

[0033] The system 100 further comprises a processing unit 310 configured to receive integrated sensor data from the driver unit 306 and synchronize the detected positions of the physical components 302 and the user with the positions of corresponding digital components displayed on the virtual / augmented reality visor 44. Specifically, the processing unit 310 can execute software code including a plug-in portion 312, a content portion 314 (e.g., an interactive car model), and a graphics engine portion 316 (e.g., a game engine). The plug-in portion 312 can receive data from the driver unit 306, such as the current status of the hardware mockup and the positions of physical elements interacting within the hardware mockup (e.g., the positions of the hardware components 302, the position and orientation of the user's headset, such as the visor 44, the position and orientation of the user's hands, etc.).

[0034] Actuators in the physical environment of system 100 (e.g., motors that move hardware components 302) can detect their state. For example, a linear motor may be able to detect its current position relative to its full scale (e.g., motor n°1, current position = 25 mm, full scale range = 400 mm). Using the position data provided by the actuators, driver unit 306 is configured to calculate the overall pose of the physical mockup. However, such pose may lack information about the position and orientation of the entire structure. Therefore, one or more embodiments can use optical and / or inertial tracking to detect the relative position between the physical mockup and a user sitting on the mockup. Additionally, the pose of the end user's head (e.g., its position and orientation in space) can be detected as well.

[0035] As expected, the driver unit 306 is configured to perform sensor data integration. The ability to properly integrate data from various sources (e.g., optical and IMU tracking) and do so at various frequencies and with various degrees of accuracy is a desirable feature. Therefore, it is beneficial to provide a good (e.g., reliable) data integration model specific to the use case and its constraints. In general, optical tracking can be used to detect the absolute position and orientation of a user at low frequency, but jitter can occur. Filtering the jitter can introduce delays, which makes it unsuitable for use with head-mounted devices (HMDs) such as the virtual / augmented reality visor 44. On the other hand, sensors based on inertial measurement units can generate smooth relative position and orientation data at high frequency, but can drift over time. Therefore, one or more embodiments can utilize an advantageous combination of the two data types to provide satisfactory results. Additionally, tracking of the user's hands (e.g., via optical sensing such as Leap Motion) can also be integrated into the sensor integration model.

[0036] As expected, the control unit 308 is configured to control the position of the hardware components 302. This may be implemented in a user-friendly manner, for example, so that a user can easily set the physical mockup to a desired configuration without having to manually set the position of each and every actuator motor. The control unit 308 may, for example, provide a remote user interface and three different control modes.

[0037] In a first control mode (eg, "manual"), the user can set each actuator to a desired state (eg, "set motor no. 1 to position 15 mm out of 400 mm").

[0038] In a second control mode (e.g., "ergonomics"), a user can set the positions of the hardware components 302, and the control unit 308 is configured to correlate the desired final positions with corresponding actuator states. For example, a user can set the steering wheel to a particular angle relative to the horizontal (e.g., "set steering wheel angle to 70°"), and the control unit 308 can determine the position of one or more actuators of the steering wheel that will produce the desired result. Several calculations are used to convert between ergonomic values ​​and motor values.

[0039] In a third control mode (e.g., "storage"), data defining the state (position) of the actuators and / or the location of the hardware components 302 may be read from a file. The ability to store and retrieve such position data can facilitate development team work by allowing multiple users to save different configurations and work on a common shared project.

[0040] When using the control unit 308, a user can set and view the pose of the physical mockup (using any of the three modes described above) via a remote user interface, which then causes the control unit 308 to send movement commands to the actuators of the physical component 302. The user interface may display two overlaid images: a first image (e.g., a "ghost" or "semi-transparent" image) may show the current actual pose of the physical mockup, and a second image (a "solid" image) may show the target pose of the physical mockup.

[0041] As expected, the processing unit 310 is configured to receive integrated sensor data from the driver unit 306 and synchronize the detected positions of the physical components 302 and the detected position of the user with the positions of corresponding digital components displayed in a virtual environment, such as the virtual / augmented reality visor 44. For example, the plug-in portion 312 may be configured to integrate the data coming from the driver unit 306 into a graphics engine, such as the Unreal Engine. The purpose of the plug-in portion 312 is to match a 3D virtual model of the vehicle being considered / designed with the actual positions of the physical components 302. For example, a user physically seated in the physical mockup and wearing the head-mounted visor 44 could be able to touch the steering wheel 6, armrest 40, display 46, etc. in the "virtual" and "real" worlds simultaneously.

[0042] To provide synchronization between the physical mockup and the virtual environment shown to the user, the virtual mockup (e.g., "blue ghost") must match the 3D model of the vehicle running on the graphics engine (e.g., Unreal). The virtual mockup can be connected to the driver unit 306 and update its pose in real time, or a created configuration file can be loaded via the control unit 308, or the user can pose it directly in the virtual environment and send it back to the driver unit 306 (e.g., bypassing the control unit 308). When the virtual mockup is viewed in the virtual environment (e.g., by the user wearing a virtual / augmented reality headset), the virtual mockup and the physical mockup are aligned. Additionally, virtual hands can be visualized in the virtual environment, and their positions can be matched with those of other virtually displayed elements (e.g., a virtual steering wheel).

[0043] One or more embodiments may utilize sensor fusion algorithms to improve the accuracy and matching between the physical mockup and the virtual environment presented to the user. In this regard, reference should be made to Figures 4 and 5.

[0044] In standard virtual reality systems (e.g., commercial systems known as Oculus, HTC Vive, etc.), estimation of the headset's (e.g., virtual / augmented reality visor 44) position in space is primarily based on data received from an IMU sensor. However, IMU sensors can generate non-stationary errors, meaning that the position of a virtual object visualized in a virtual environment can drift over time compared to the actual position of that same object in the physical world. Errors in the placement of virtual objects in a virtual environment can lead to perceptual errors in the physical environment (e.g., erroneous haptic feedback from the user). Commercial systems such as those mentioned above can also use sensor fusion, combining IMU data with other data (e.g., data from cameras or lighthouses). However, such commercial sensor fusion algorithms are traditionally designed for smoothness rather than precision and may not be able to track multiple objects. For example, the commercially known Oculus system cannot track multiple objects. Another commercially known system known as the HTC Vive can use an additional device known as the "Vive Tracker", but this is an active device that is not precise, is even less reliable for static objects (such as the static structure of the physical part of the system 100 that needs to be tracked), is cumbersome, and needs to be powered and connected wirelessly using a dongle.

[0045] As illustrated in FIG. 4 , in a conventional VR / AR system, the position and / or orientation of a head-mounted device (HMD) 402, such as a visor 44, may be tracked by one or more optical base stations 404 (e.g., positioned at the four corners of floor 8). Because the tracked position of the head-mounted device 402 is used to generate visual information for the user's eyes, the position data is traditionally smoothed using IMU data, introducing errors (e.g., drift errors). This is illustrated in FIG. 4 , where device 402 represents the actual physical position of a user wearing the head-mounted device, and device 406 represents the corresponding smoothed position. Thus, placement errors or smoothing errors ES may occur. In the physical environment, other objects 408 (e.g., one or more of hardware components 302) are provided, the positions of which are also tracked by optical base stations 404. Because these objects are not attached to the user (e.g., not attached to the user's head) and therefore are not expected to move, there is no need to smooth the positions of the objects 408. As a result, the position of the object 408 presented in the virtual environment (VR / AR visor 44) will be equal to or very close to the actual position of the object 408 in the physical world. Because the positions of one or more other objects (e.g., the user's hand) may be tracked relative to the position of the device 402, the positions of these additional objects in the virtual environment will also be affected by the smoothing error ES compared to their actual physical positions.

[0046] As a result, when conventional AR / VR systems are used, the positional mismatch can prevent a user from matching visual feedback (provided by the VR / AR headset 44) with haptic feedback (provided by the physical components 302 around the user). For example, a user's hand may be able to touch a tracked object 408 in the physical environment (as exemplified by point 410 in FIG. 4 ), but the “virtual” hand shown by the headset 44 may not appear to be touching the virtual representation of the object 408. In effect, smoothing errors ES affecting only a portion of the virtually displayed device can cause the user's perception of the object to differ from the user's sense of touch. Known solutions aim to keep the error introduced by smoothing as small as possible, resulting in a trade-off between the level of achievable smoothing and residual error, and / or the need to use high-precision IMU sensors and / or implement custom sensor integration algorithms.

[0047] 5 can provide a simple solution that results in an improved smoothing experience and high accuracy. System 100 can further include one or more additional cameras 502 configured to independently detect / track the position of head-mounted device 402 (e.g., by exchanging data with driver unit 306). The smoothed position data from headset 402 is not replaced but compared to the position data determined via camera 502, and a smoothing error ES is determined (e.g., measured) at each point in time. Thus, the measured smoothing error can be subtracted from the positions of all objects placed relative to head-mounted device 402, and the hands are virtually placed in physical positions, so that the visual information provided to the user via AR / VR headset 44 matches the haptic (tactile) feedback the user receives from the system's physical components.

[0048] Obviously, the details and embodiments of the construction may vary widely with respect to what has been described and shown, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention as defined in the claims. Thus, for example, the general configuration of the seats, steering wheel and pedals may differ from that shown in the drawings and may be adapted to different vehicle models.

Claims

1. A system (100) for designing, studying and / or presenting a vehicle prototype solution, said system (100) comprising: a plurality of hardware components (302) in a vehicle interior, the hardware components (302) being movable and / or adjustable to different positions via a plurality of respective actuators; a virtual or augmented reality headset (44; 402) wearable by a user, the headset (44; 402) configured to display to the user a virtual representation of a plurality of virtual components corresponding to the plurality of hardware components (302); a plurality of object detection sensors (304) configured to detect the position of one or more objects within a region of interest, the one or more objects including the user's hands and / or the headset (44; 402); an electronic control system (306, 308, 310) including a driver unit (306), a control unit (308) and a processing unit (310); Equipped with the driver unit (306) is coupled to the actuators to provide actuation commands to and / or receive position data from the actuators, and is coupled to the plurality of object detection sensors (304) to receive data indicative of the positions of the one or more objects within the region of interest; the driver unit (306) is configured to perform sensor data integration processing on the data indicative of the positions of the one or more objects to determine the positions of the one or more objects relative to the headset (44; 402); the control unit (308) is coupled to the driver unit (306) to send commands to the driver unit and receive feedback state and position data from the driver unit; the processing unit (310) is configured to receive the positions of the one or more objects relative to the headset (44; 402) from the driver unit (306) and to generate the virtual representation displayed by the headset (44; 402) accordingly. System (100).

2. The plurality of object detection sensors (304) an optical tracking device, preferably a six degree of freedom optical tracking device; an inertial measurement unit coupled to said headset (44; 402); a device configured to detect the position of the user's hand; The system (100) of claim 1, comprising at least one of:

3. the plurality of object detection sensors (304) including one or more cameras (502), an inertial measurement unit coupled to the headset (44; 402), and a set of optical sensors (404); The driver unit (306) determining a first position of the headset (44; 402) in response to data from the optical sensor (404) smoothed in response to data from the inertial measurement unit, and determining a second position of the headset (44; 402) in response to data from the one or more cameras (502); Comparing the first position of the headset (44; 402) to the second position of the headset (44; 402) to determine a placement error (E Ｓ ) and The placement error (E Ｓ ) from the determined positions of the one or more objects relative to the headset (44; 402) to generate corrected positions of the one or more objects relative to the headset (44; 402). It is configured as follows: the processing unit (310) is configured to generate the virtual representation displayed by the headset (44; 402) in response to the corrected position. The system (100) of claim 1.

4. 2. The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hardware components (302) includes at least one of a floor (8), at least one seat (1, 2), a front head (5), a steering wheel (6) attached to the front head (5), at least one pedal (15) positioned below the front head (5), and one or more armrests (40).

5. The control unit (308) receiving, from the user via a user interface, a set of data indicating an expected position of the actuator that moves the hardware component (302); transmitting the data indicative of the expected position of the actuator to the driver unit (306); and the driver unit (306) is configured to provide an actuation command to the actuator to adjust the actuator to the assumed position. The system (100) of claim 1.

6. The control unit (308) receiving a set of data from the user via a user interface indicating the possible locations of the hardware components (302); responsive to the data indicative of the expected positions of the hardware component (302), determining a corresponding set of data indicative of the expected positions of the actuator that moves the hardware component (302); transmitting the data indicative of the expected position of the actuator to the driver unit (306); and the driver unit (306) is configured to provide an actuation command to the actuator to adjust the actuator to the assumed position. The system (100) of claim 1.

7. The control unit (308) reading a set of data from a data file indicating possible positions of the actuator that moves the hardware component (302); transmitting the data indicative of the expected position of the actuator to the driver unit (306); and the driver unit (306) is configured to provide an actuation command to the actuator to adjust the actuator to the assumed position. The system (100) of claim 1.

8. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a user interface and is configured to present, via the user interface, an image representing the current location of the hardware component overlaid on an image representing the assumed location of the hardware component.

9. A method of operating a system (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, said method comprising: moving and / or adjusting the plurality of hardware components (302) of the vehicle interior to different positions via a plurality of respective actuators; Detecting the position of one or more objects, including a user's hands and / or the headset (44; 402), within a region of interest via the plurality of object detection sensors (304); displaying to the user, via the virtual or augmented reality headset (44; 402), a virtual representation of a plurality of virtual components corresponding to the plurality of hardware components (302); providing actuation commands to and / or receiving position data from the actuators to receive data indicative of the positions of the one or more objects within the region of interest; performing a sensor data integration process on the data indicative of the positions of the one or more objects to determine the positions of the one or more objects relative to the headset (44; 402); Sending commands to the driver unit (306) and receiving feedback status and position data from the driver unit (306); receiving the position of the one or more objects relative to the headset (44; 402) from the driver unit (306) and generating the virtual representation displayed by the headset (44; 402) accordingly; A method comprising:

10. A computer program product readable into the memory of at least one computer and comprising software code portions which, when executed by said computer, cause said computer to carry out the steps of the method of claim 9.

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