I used Meta’s Neural Band to control a car’s screen in a Garmin concept, and it kind of rocked, but not just for the gestures

It was shown off in Garmin’s Unified Cabin concept

10 Jan 2026 · TechRadar

News By Jacob Krol published 10 January 2026

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You likely know Meta’s Neural Band as the companion controller that lets you use a hand as an input for the Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses, but it might one day be sold separately and work with a bevy of other hardware.

Garmin, which makes a boatload of technology inside devices, showed off a concept of its next generation of in-vehicle systems at CES 2026 – one where its own-made computer can power way more than just a heads-up display and main screen, but also integrate with dynamic lighting, ultra-wideband tech, and even new inputs from voice to hand gestures.

And while this is just a concept, I got seated in the demo car, which was very much non-movable and just four seats in a rough frame, slapped on the Meta Neural Band, and was off to the races, able to spin the electronic version of the car on the main screen and even pinch to zoom in or out. It’s basic, but it’s mostly a proving ground for how these different types of inputs could prove useful in the car.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

It’s part of Garmin’s Unified Cabin concept, which is basically a next-generation, much smarter interior for future vehicles. The ability to use the Neural Band is part of a collaboration between Garmin and Meta, exploring how this tech could be used.

The idea, though, is that within Android Auto, instead of saying “Hey Google” or swiping with your fingers, you can use gestures without needing to extend your hand. I was sitting in the passenger seat and had my hand just above my lap, able to make the right gestures to control the display. It was limited, but you could also use it to swipe through the interface and interact with various input elements.

There was no steering wheel in this cabin concept, but it might even work with hands on the wheel – though I’m not sure about the safety there. And the way the Meta Neural Band works is pretty ingenious; this was my first demo with it, and it’s essentially able to read finger gestures and movements via electrical signals from your wrist. It’s neat and provides feedback with subtle haptics in the band.

(Image credit: Future/Jeremy Kaplan)

The Unified Cabin concept also highlighted the ability of UWB, potentially in future vehicles, to know the position of a digital key – either a fob, phone, or maybe even a Meta Neural Band one day – to welcome you with lighting as you approach, but also to provide more accuracy for when you’re in the vehicle. If you’re with a partner who also has a digital key on their phone, it can be more precise in setting the right seat style for whoever is actually in the driver’s seat. That’s not perfect as it is today.

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