Tracing the Recent Advances in Automotive Head Up Display Systems

Automobiles have evolved a lot in the past 2-3 decades. The style, basic structure, and internal setup have all undergone a huge change in these years. With advances being made in automotive engineering, manufacturers have found new ways to increase the efficiency of automobiles. Moreover, since the last decade or so, the advent of ‘smart’ electronics and technology like Internet of Things, smart displays, augmented reality, etc., have completely changed the way automobiles previously operated. Automotive head up display is one such example of advanced automotive technology.

Recent Advances in the Automotive Head Up Display Technology

Traditionally, all the crucial information which the driver needed while driving a car was displayed on the dashboard through analog dials. This, over the years, changed with the advent of LEDs which made the displays more distinct, compact, and easier to comprehend. However, all the relevant information provided by LEDs was still being displayed on the dashboard itself. Automotive head up display technology makes a deviation from this; all the relevant and necessary information using this system is displayed in the driver’s line of sight, on the windshield.

Automotive head up displays, that are slowly replacing traditional setups, have undergone some changes themselves. There are primarily three variants of head up displays (HUDs) that have come up in the automotive head up display market in the recent years. The first variant of HUD converts the bottom strip of the windshield in an opaque sheet so as to display information on it; Continental’s Scenic View HUD is one of the most popular systems employing this type of automotive head up displays. The second type of automotive head up display is by using combiners. A combiner is a small glass plate that comes out of a slit made on the dashboard exactly behind the steering wheel. This glass plate then displays information and then retracts back into its original position. Some automobiles have non-retractable combiners also. The third type of head up displays has been in the limelight, the most. In this type, a transparent display film is laminated on to the windshield glass. This transparent film provides crucial data such as speed of the car, petrol/gas levels, navigation arrows, lane guidance, music and infotainment information, etc., in the form of “floating” holograms.

Head up display was initially devised for military aviation purposes in the 1960s. But in 1988, Nissan, the Japanese automobile manufacturing giant introduced head up displays in their automobiles for the first time. Over the years, automobile manufacturers have sought to better these systems in order to provide accurate and real-time information to the driver. For achieving this accuracy, automobile manufacturers have been integrating the most advanced technologies that have come up in the recent times with HUDs. For example, in 2013, Pioneer Corporation, a Japanese digital entertainment products manufacturing company, released its automotive head up display system, viz., NavGate HUD, that is powered by Augmented Reality (AR). Prior to this, automotive head up display systems were very basic in nature, displaying plain information such as car speed and fuel levels. This product launch, however, opened the flood gates for integration of various systems such as navigation systems, collision detection systems, etc., with HUDs and is hence, considered to be a landmark innovation in the field of HUDs.

The Road Ahead with Automotive Head Up Displays

With the increase in expanse of electric mobility, the role played by electronics in automobile manufacturing industry is bound to grow in the coming period. Moreover, advanced technologies like Internet of Things and Artificial Technologies have widened the scope of head up displays. This widened scope of HUDs comes in handy especially in ‘smart cities’ which have seamless wireless internet connections, smooth transport connectivity, and hassle-free service delivery mechanisms. Additionally, automobile manufacturing companies like Tesla have been spearheading the design and development of “driver-less” cars with state-of-the-art autopilot systems which make automotive head up display systems a must. Thus, the technology which was designed for military aviation is poised to gain a lot of traction in the automobile industry in the next few years.

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.