Volvo Mulling Full-Windshield Head-Up Display
Volvo has just invested in Israeli start-up Spectralics, which specializes in optical and imaging technology, through the Volvo Cars Tech Fund.
Why? To apparently revolutionize the in-car user experience. How? By integrating a new head-up display system covering the entire windshield.
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The technology is still at an early stage of development, but the Swedish automaker deems it very promising, with the potential to set a standard for the next generation of displays and cameras.
Spectralics’ multi-layered thin combiner (MLTC) is a new type of thin optics ‘film’ that can be used to overlay imagery on glass surfaces of all shapes and sizes. In a windshield configuration, the technology could create a full-size head-up display that can “instill a sense of distance as virtual objects are superimposed onto the real-world environment for a safe and immersive experience,” Volvo claims.
Other potential uses of the technology include advanced filters for various applications, in-cabin sensing and digital holographic projections.
Now, isn’t it a bit dangerous? How are drivers going to deal with these new “distractions?” And do we really need that much information to be projected onto the windshield?
Volvo says the technology “could contribute to making cars safer and more connected,” like the ones that will be inspired by the Recharge concept pictured above. Coming from a world leader in automotive safety, we’re intrigued, but let’s see how the first real-world tests go and what regulatory bodies have to say about that.