Ambient output system

An ambient output system 1 for a vehicle comprising: a detector 2 operable to detect a plurality of elements of an environment external to the vehicle; an identification unit 3 operable to identify each element; a rendering unit 26 operable to create a virtual space representing the environment external to the vehicle, the rendering unit 26 operable to populate the virtual space with the vehicle and each identified element; an association unit 27 operable to apply a respective emanating field to each identified element within the virtual space, the respective emanating field being based on the identity, and each emanating field emanating from the identified element, and within the virtual space, to an associated range; one or more ambient output devices 6 operable to set the internal ambient environment of the vehicle; and an orchestration unit 5 operable to determine any emanating fields the vehicle is within in the virtual space and set the output of the one or more ambient output devices 6 at least partially based on any emanating field or emanating fields the vehicle is within.