Anyone who watches sci-fi movies or spends any time playing video games is familiar with the concept of a heads up display, or HUD. It allows the user to see all the important information, without distracting you from seeing what’s in front of you. Thanks to a company from California, this futuristic concept could become an everyday driving tool.
The company, Making Virtual Solid, took top prize this year at the European Satellite Navigation Competition in Munich,Germany. This is quite a feat since they were competing with 400 other proposals from almost 50 different countries. The system is called True3D Head Up Display & Navigation System and it could revolutionize the future of navigation.
The HUD system is explained as an augmented reality navigational display engine designed to provide non-distracting, translucent location guidance. It’s more than just projecting an image on your windshield, it’s about making that image look like it’s blending into what the driver is seeing on the approaching route. This blending is what sets MVS apart from the rest. It enables the driver to have their information front and center, while not distracting them from the road. The display becomes just part of the scenery and it feels natural, unlike current GPSs that are small and can be distracting to the driver.
The device can project images from as close as two meters to infinity. This enables their “Virtual Cable” to show you where you need to go and where you want to turn with as much advance notice as your eyes can see. The display will also be able to show virtual road signs, which would give drives advanced warnings of conditions ahead, regardless of the weather or obstructed views.
The goal was to make the system feel natural the minute you started using it and they really nailed it with the real time stream of information at your fingertips. The hurdle they had to get over, like all emerging technology, was making it small inexpensive so it could be incorporated into all cars.
The Making Virtual Solids device is not only small and lightweight, but can also work in bright sunlight. Their device has a potential to be partnered in automotive, trucking, marine and avionics markets.