An AR-native cockpit interface to prevent spatial disorientation in IMC during VFR flight, accelerated through rapid AI-assisted vibecoded prototyping.
SKILLS
AUGMENTED REALITY, PROTOTYPING,
VIBECODING
TOOLS
FIGMA, UNITY, CLAUDE CODE
TIMELINE
10 WEEKS - 2026
TEAM
FARREL SUDRAJAT & JOY YAO
PROBLEM
Confronting the deadly 178-second window when clear, visual flight (VFR) weather turns into blinding clouds and fatal spatial disorientation
When a pilot flying by visual sight accidentally enters heavy clouds or zero-visibility weather without instrument training, they lose all physical orientation. Traditional cockpit layouts force them to look away and decipher complex data under extreme panic, leaving a dangerously narrow survival window.
RESPONSE
VECTOR: a context-aware emergency augmented reality system providing heads-up info to guide VFR pilots out of spatial disorientation
KEY FEATURE // FLIGHT PRIMARIES
Bringing key flight primaries to the field of vision
Onboard cameras read the existing instrument panel and project key flight data into the pilot’s field of view, scaling across three stages: default, advisory, and emergency.
KEY FEATURE // SYSTEM & SETTING AWARENESS
Real-time environmental tracking that visualizes nearby traffic and warns of any potential hazards
VECTOR labels nearby aircraft and monitors weather and gauge anomalies, then recommends a new heading to steer clear of the hazard.
KEY FEATURE // ADAPTIVE CHECKLIST
An emergency checklist that adapts to the situation
When something goes wrong, VECTOR brings up the right emergency checklist, keeps you on the step in front of you with a glimpse of what’s next, and works ATC instructions in as they come over the radio.
EXHIBITION & PROTOTYPE
Bridging digital AR interfaces with a tangible, interactive cockpit simulation
To test and validate our design in a realistic context, we constructed a physical cockpit simulator and hardware setup for our capstone design exhibition. This hands-on prototyping approach allowed us to evaluate how heads up data overlays integrate smoothly with physical flight controls. It also allowed viewers at the exhibition to better understand how this spatial UI interfaces with a physical cockpit.
The VECTOR showcase at the 2026 UW Design Show. Unfortunately things didn't go as intended due to hardware issues, but it was still a rewarding experience being able to design for a physical space!
A live walkthrough of the working headset prototype displayed at the show.
TO BE CONTINUED
From vibecoding to exhibition design, I learned so much. Stay tuned for the full case study dropping later in the near future!
In the meantime, enjoy some of these photos from the design process! Special thanks to Bill Flora for advising me through this capstone and motivating us to embrace 'the suck', and my teammate Joy Yao for sticking through the endless last-minute runs to Artist & Craftsman and our 1 AM all-nighter work meetings.
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