Driving the Future of Auto UX: ProtoPie at Gasgoo HMI 2025

On March 19, 2025, the ProtoPie team joined an exciting lineup of industry leaders at the 5th China Automotive Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) & Experience Design Innovation Conference hosted by Gasgoo in Shanghai. As the automotive world races into a more innovative, more intuitive future, this annual event brought together designers, engineers, and innovators to explore how technology is reshaping the in-car experience.

ProtoPie Takes the Stage

Representing ProtoPie, Link Li, our APAC Business Development Manager, delivered a standout presentation titled “Integrating AI and Hardware into HMI Design”. His talk focused on solving one of today’s biggest HMI challenges: bridging the gap between software design and hardware execution - without needing to write a single line of code.

Link introduced ProtoPie as the go-to platform for building high-fidelity, cross-screen prototypes that seamlessly integrate both hardware elements and AI-powered services. With tools like ProtoPie Studio, Player, Connect, and Cloud, designers can validate their ideas in real-world environments long before development begins.

You can watch a recording of the full speech and presentation here: Integrating AI and Hardware into HMI Design

Innovating at the Intersection of AI and Hardware

One of the key messages from Link’s session was the necessity of pre-development validation. He cited real-world examples where a lack of early testing led to poor user adoption - even when the visuals were compelling. With ProtoPie, designers can simulate user interaction with hardware such as seating bucks, G29 steering wheels, and AI voice interfaces, all in real time.

The crowd was especially intrigued by how ProtoPie integrates AI engines like ChatGPT and DeepSeek using APIs and bridge apps. These capabilities unlock advanced interaction designs, from voice control and head tracking to 2D-to-3D interface sync - all done without code.

Industry Trends & Conference Highlights

The conference theme - personalized, multimodal HMI design powered by AI and 3D visualization - echoed across the speaker lineup. Companies like Unity, EPIC Games, Qt, and Zeekr shared their insights into 3D cockpit interfaces, emotional design, and AR-HUD innovations.

As automotive UX moves from functional to experiential, the demand for design tools that can keep up with this shift is growing. ProtoPie is proud to be among the tools leading this charge.

What We Learned from the Crowd

ProtoPie’s booth saw a steady stream of traffic after Link’s presentation, with many attendees heading straight over to try the live demo. The car fresheners we handed out were a hit (who knew?), and the positive feedback was overwhelming:

Compared to past events, ProtoPie saw a higher number of leads and more targeted engagement. It’s clear that when it comes to the future of automotive HMI, designers want tools that are fast, flexible, and ready for the real world.

Looking Ahead

We’ve made a lot of new valuable connections at this year’s event. From OEMs like Geely and BMW to Honda and Chery Automobile, we’re looking forward to reconnecting at the upcoming Geely OEM Forum on May 8!

Closing Thoughts

As automotive HMI design continues to evolve, ProtoPie remains committed to empowering designers to bring their visions to life faster, smarter, and more collaboratively. Events like Gasgoo’s HMI Conference remind us just how powerful these conversations can be.

Join us on the road ahead and the innovations in UX we’ll see along the way!

You can also contact us directly to request a customized demo of our solution!