Continental Turned The Windshield Into One Big TV
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Jun 14 2018, 6:06 AM
As technologies go now far and far away, we always know that some time cars of the mid-level will be conquered. Here is that time – let us introduce the head-up display (further HUD). What is the Continental? It is one of the world’s first companies which has developed a HUD for commercial machines and downloaded this innovative technology in its innovation track. Adding conventional meter panel, the display provides the driver with bigger comfort and safety.
How? Just making or better to say – projecting a brilliant color image or essential information for the driver into his range of vision. Continental offers manufacturers the display as a windshield or a combiner HUD. Customers can also select to have the display which will show up or low field. By the way, to watch how it all looks like you may here on the site of Carlined. Memorize these words, soon technology, which previously could only be seen on concept cars, will soon appear on production cars.
H2: The display which shows many different items of information
Okay, now knowing in a few words about the modern technique let’s talk more about the display. The display options and the color schemes of the HUD are very varied and can be freely defined by the vehicle production.
- The display gets its data via the CAN bus and depending on the available sources.
- The display ranges with different choices: depends on speed, navigation instructions, various signs on the road, warnings, pedestrian crossings, traffic jams.
- The best thing in this is that all the information is shown only in the eyesight of the driver. This increases safety because he doesn’t have to take his eyes off the road for a second or two, as is the case with a conventional meter panel – and his eyes don’t have to focus on a shorter viewing distance before the flow of information starts and then adjust again to the longer-distance view. This refocusing process takes time and tires the eyes after a while.
Used in modern cars, projection screens occupy a small segment of the windshield or use a reflector as a reflector. In both cases, the construction is rather cumbersome and does not allow to expand the area of the projection significantly. The problem is solved by the technology of holographic waveguides, already widely used in military and civil aviation.
One of the pioneers of the development of augmented reality systems based on holographic waveguides is the Californian company DigiLens, to which the German concern Continental has invested heavily since 2016, and in May of this year brought its stake in the American company to 18% and introduced its man to the board of directors. The manufacturer of auto components has seen a great future in holographic waveguides and believes that the technology is ready for technical implementation – that is, it can be offered to car manufacturers.
As the vehicle manufacturer can also choose look-up and look-down approach Continental offers the windshield HUD in the look-down version as standard. The use of a head-up display also gives new opportunities in vehicle design. The instrument panel can be made smaller, for example, because all of its information content can be transferred to the HUD. How is the Continental HUD available and where is it situated? It is used as a windshield HUD. Here the windshield serves as a mirror for the displayed information. This version is ideal for commercial vehicles with flatter windshields which are common in the USA. In the case of the combiner HUD, a transparent pane (the combiner) handles the image reflected in front of the windshield. This version is particularly suitable for confined spaces with more steeply curved windshields, which are more common in Europe.
In developing the HUDs for commercial vehicles, Continental engineers used synergies within the Group and the know-how of their colleagues from the automobile sector, where Continental has long been a supplier for several manufacturers, delivering the first full-color HUD as far back as 2003. The HUD supports the driver in the Continental Innovation Truck and has been used successfully for more than 27,000 kilometers.
Over the past ten years, the cost and size of Augmented Reality systems on the basis of waveguides have decreased tens of times, and DigiLens was one of the first to apply this technology on curved surfaces, that is, it has become suitable for use with car windshields, and it is possible to use their entire area. That is, now the necessary information or warning will not escape the attention of the driver, if, of course, he isn’t looking at the road at all.
In the light of the coming era of autonomous driving, holographic waveguides look very promising in terms of broadcasting entertainment content. Especially convenient with their help to conduct car tours – a person looks out the window and immediately sees a description of a particular landmark.
It is still too early to talk about the final cost of such systems; it depends on the volume of output – the greater the circulation, the lower the price. But it is clear that the first holographic waveguides will receive premium cars, and only then this technology will go to the mass and budget segments.
H3: A critical human-machine interface
This remarkable technology contributes a road safety; it increased it to the new level. Think about it - the driver can look after everything without getting tired. His eyes don’t need to look back and forth focusing on long or short distances. The HUD keeps him up-to-date about what’s happening in his perimetry. It gives information about the distance from the car ahead, traffic jams, or sudden weather changes like a hurricane or heavy rainfall. A well-known head of the commercial vehicles and aftermarket business unit once said that the HUD is a necessary technology. Regarding the increasing automation of driving its role as a human-machine interface, can ideally provide the driver with information about the current automation mode. Also, he said that a very important thing has to happen – all drivers who use the technology have to rely on it and believe in it, without doubt, only after that it will become widespread.
Probably at this point will be some problems, as technologies can be mistaken, but, nevertheless, let’s believe in success.
In developing the HUDs for commercial vehicles, Continental engineers used synergies within the Group and the know-how of their colleagues from the automobile sector, where Continental has long been a supplier for several manufacturers, delivering the first full-color HUD as far back as 2003. The HUD supports the driver in the Continental Innovation Truck and has been used successfully for more than 27,000 kilometers.
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As technologies go now far and far away, we always know that some time cars of the mid-level will be conquered. Here is that time – let us introduce the head-up display (further HUD). What is the Continental? It is one of the world’s first companies which has developed a HUD for commercial machines and downloaded this innovative technology in its innovation track. Adding conventional meter panel, the display provides the driver with bigger comfort and safety.
How? Just making or better to say – projecting a brilliant color image or essential information for the driver into his range of vision. Continental offers manufacturers the display as a windshield or a combiner HUD. Customers can also select to have the display which will show up or low field. By the way, to watch how it all looks like you may here on the site of Carlined. Memorize these words, soon technology, which previously could only be seen on concept cars, will soon appear on production cars.
H2: The display which shows many different items of information
Okay, now knowing in a few words about the modern technique let’s talk more about the display. The display options and the color schemes of the HUD are very varied and can be freely defined by the vehicle production.
- The display gets its data via the CAN bus and depending on the available sources.
- The display ranges with different choices: depends on speed, navigation instructions, various signs on the road, warnings, pedestrian crossings, traffic jams.
- The best thing in this is that all the information is shown only in the eyesight of the driver. This increases safety because he doesn’t have to take his eyes off the road for a second or two, as is the case with a conventional meter panel – and his eyes don’t have to focus on a shorter viewing distance before the flow of information starts and then adjust again to the longer-distance view. This refocusing process takes time and tires the eyes after a while.
Used in modern cars, projection screens occupy a small segment of the windshield or use a reflector as a reflector. In both cases, the construction is rather cumbersome and does not allow to expand the area of the projection significantly. The problem is solved by the technology of holographic waveguides, already widely used in military and civil aviation.
One of the pioneers of the development of augmented reality systems based on holographic waveguides is the Californian company DigiLens, to which the German concern Continental has invested heavily since 2016, and in May of this year brought its stake in the American company to 18% and introduced its man to the board of directors. The manufacturer of auto components has seen a great future in holographic waveguides and believes that the technology is ready for technical implementation – that is, it can be offered to car manufacturers.
As the vehicle manufacturer can also choose look-up and look-down approach Continental offers the windshield HUD in the look-down version as standard. The use of a head-up display also gives new opportunities in vehicle design. The instrument panel can be made smaller, for example, because all of its information content can be transferred to the HUD. How is the Continental HUD available and where is it situated? It is used as a windshield HUD. Here the windshield serves as a mirror for the displayed information. This version is ideal for commercial vehicles with flatter windshields which are common in the USA. In the case of the combiner HUD, a transparent pane (the combiner) handles the image reflected in front of the windshield. This version is particularly suitable for confined spaces with more steeply curved windshields, which are more common in Europe.
In developing the HUDs for commercial vehicles, Continental engineers used synergies within the Group and the know-how of their colleagues from the automobile sector, where Continental has long been a supplier for several manufacturers, delivering the first full-color HUD as far back as 2003. The HUD supports the driver in the Continental Innovation Truck and has been used successfully for more than 27,000 kilometers.
Over the past ten years, the cost and size of Augmented Reality systems on the basis of waveguides have decreased tens of times, and DigiLens was one of the first to apply this technology on curved surfaces, that is, it has become suitable for use with car windshields, and it is possible to use their entire area. That is, now the necessary information or warning will not escape the attention of the driver, if, of course, he isn’t looking at the road at all.
In the light of the coming era of autonomous driving, holographic waveguides look very promising in terms of broadcasting entertainment content. Especially convenient with their help to conduct car tours – a person looks out the window and immediately sees a description of a particular landmark.
It is still too early to talk about the final cost of such systems; it depends on the volume of output – the greater the circulation, the lower the price. But it is clear that the first holographic waveguides will receive premium cars, and only then this technology will go to the mass and budget segments.
H3: A critical human-machine interface
This remarkable technology contributes a road safety; it increased it to the new level. Think about it - the driver can look after everything without getting tired. His eyes don’t need to look back and forth focusing on long or short distances. The HUD keeps him up-to-date about what’s happening in his perimetry. It gives information about the distance from the car ahead, traffic jams, or sudden weather changes like a hurricane or heavy rainfall. A well-known head of the commercial vehicles and aftermarket business unit once said that the HUD is a necessary technology. Regarding the increasing automation of driving its role as a human-machine interface, can ideally provide the driver with information about the current automation mode. Also, he said that a very important thing has to happen – all drivers who use the technology have to rely on it and believe in it, without doubt, only after that it will become widespread.
Probably at this point will be some problems, as technologies can be mistaken, but, nevertheless, let’s believe in success.
In developing the HUDs for commercial vehicles, Continental engineers used synergies within the Group and the know-how of their colleagues from the automobile sector, where Continental has long been a supplier for several manufacturers, delivering the first full-color HUD as far back as 2003. The HUD supports the driver in the Continental Innovation Truck and has been used successfully for more than 27,000 kilometers.
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