Cars & Auto
Head-Up Displays Shouldn't Distract
A new generation of enhanced HUDs are coming the market with the potential to put more info in a driver's face.
By Doug Newcomb
https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/head-up-displays-shouldnt-distract
I've always liked head-up displays (HUDs) in cars. And I'm somewhat surprised that they never caught on, even though they been around since the late 1980s, originally in the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and Pontiac Grand Prix.
I've driven several vehicles with the technology over the years, including Chevy Corvettes and various BMWs. And I like that I don't have to glance down at the dashboard or even the instrument panel to get the information I need and can keep my eyes on the road.
Despite their humble domestic beginnings, one reason HUDs haven't gone mainstream is they've typically have been available mostly in high-end cars. And not only are the components for an HUD systems pricey, but the technology usually requires a special type of windshield.
Now HUDs are starting to appear in lower-priced cars like the 2014 Mazda3 (which we reviewed) that uses a small pop-up plastic panel on top of the dash as a display instead of the windshield. And the aftermarket gadget Navdy can turn a smartphone into an HUD.
These applications ensure that the information in the HUD will be lower in the dash. But more sophisticated HUDs have the potential to display a wider variety and more detailed information—and be distracting.
In July I traveled to Germany to see low-cost applications like the one in the Mazda3 that automotive supplier Continental will be providing to more automakers. I also learned a lot about HUD technology during the visit, and also got to see and try out a prototype of the company's first-ever augmented reality HUD, installed in a Kia K9 sedan.
Compared to Continental's AR HUD, the K9's production HUD, which showed basic information such as speed and basic navigation instructions, seemed outdated. When approaching a turn with a destination programmed into the navigation system, instead of a static arrow pointing the way per usual, the Continental prototype AR HUD projected a dynamic fishbone-shaped display onto the road ahead to guide the driver through the maneuver. It employed similar 3D-like graphics to show driver assist warnings for lane departure and forward collision warning.
At an event I attended earlier this month in Detroit, Toyota also showed a 3D HUD concept that projects similar information, but way out ahead of the driver and much higher in the field of view than Continental's AR HUD concept. And Jaguar introduced a similar AR HUD concept(Opens in a new window) (pictured above), and has announced that a new laser-based HUD will be available on the upcoming XE(Opens in a new window).
With drivers having to process more and more information, HUDs can help keep their eyes on the road and prevent distraction. But even with the type of advanced HUD technology that's coming down the road soon, automakers need to proceed with caution.
While in Germany this summer, one of the Continental engineers I spoke with mentioned how the company spent lots of time studying not only what to put on the windshield, but also what not to project and where not to project it. The trick is to display the information high enough on the windshield so that it's easy for the driver to see, but low enough not to obstruct a driver's view of the road—and be a distraction itself.
I've seen renditions of what a HUD of the future could look like(Opens in a new window). Think of all the billboards along the side of the road vying for your attention, but instead they're projected on your windshield. It's doubtful that government regulators would ever allow such a scenario, or that car owners would tolerate it. And it would certainly change my opinion on HUDs and whether I'd want one in my car.
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About Doug Newcomb
Doug Newcomb is a recognized expert on the subject of car technology within the auto industry and among the automotive and general media, and a frequent speaker at automotive and consumer electronics industry events. Doug began his career in 1988 at the car stereo trade publication Mobile Electronics, before serving as editor of the leading consumer magazines covering the topic, Car Audio and Electronics and Car Stereo Review/Mobile Entertainment/Road & Track Road Gear, from 1989 to 2005. In 2005 Doug started his own company, Newcomb Communications & Consulting, to provide content to such outlets as Road & Track, Popular Mechanics, MSN Autos, SEMA News, and many others. In 2008, he published his first book, Car Audio for Dummies (Wiley). He is also a contributor to Wired's Autopia, MSN Autos, and numerous other outlets.
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