Continental has announced a new augmented reality head-up display (AR-HUD) which supplements the exterior view of the traffic conditions in front of the vehicle with virtual information for the driver. Production starts in 2017.
The AR-HUD was developed from the previous HUD but now the reflected information appears exactly where the information becomes a part of the driving situation. When navigating, for example, a virtual symbol inserted precisely into the exterior view shows the driver the way on the curve in front of the vehicle. When distance controls (adaptive cruise control, ACC) are enabled, a marking in the AR-HUD visualises which vehicle in front is detected by the assistance system.
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“In a world that is becoming increasingly complex, the AR-HUD relieves the burden on the driver with a new quality of information. In the augmentation, we are connecting what the driver’s eyes see with explanatory information,” said Conti’s interiors chief Helmut Matschi.
“The AR-HUD is an important step in the direction of holistic human machine interfaces in cars for a more comfortable, more economic, and safer driving experience. Drivers receive all important information before their eyes in an easily comprehensible way. This is a major step against driver distraction and sensory overload, both now and in the future.”
Continental started production of the first color HUD for passenger cars in 2003.
The AR-HUD moves virtual information directly into the driver’s line of sight. It inserts full-colour graphics into the real road view in an approximately 130cm by 60 cm section of the driver’s field of vision at a distance of 7.5m. The basis for this is provided by digital micromirror device (DMD) technology, as is also used in digital cinema projects.
The AR-HUD also supports the driver if the vehicle is in danger of unintentionally drifting out of a lane. When ACC is enabled, a crescent-shaped marking highlights the vehicle in front that is detected by the electronics.
