New head-up display could change views for drivers and the industry

German automotive technology company, Continental, has produced a new generation of head-up displays with augmented reality which substantially increases the amount and type of information which can be presented on a vehicle's windscreen, writes Trish Whelan. It is poised to significantly change how drivers see the road.

Continental has lined up a production contract to supply its new HUD (head-up display) technology for an unnamed customer in 2017. The company will market its technology as a safety device.

Continental say "It allows you to have your eyes constantly on the road. If you have to look up from the instrument panel to the road, you need a second to change eye focus. You can travel blindly for quite a few meters."

The phrase 'augmented reality' is used to describe large, multicolour head-up displays that superimpose data or images across much of the driver's field of vision through the windshield. Continental say, for the motorist, the transition from a conventional HUD to augmented reality is 'like switching from a small, portable black-and-white TV to a big-screen TV.

The HUD shows the vehicle's speed, directions for the motorist's next turn and a lane-departure warning. It also produces a virtual display about 7.6 metres (25 feet) in front of the motorist and includes blue arrows to point the way for the driver.

While many carmakers use head-up displays, Continental claim the augmented reality HUD has the potential to change the auto industry's approach to instrumentation. They say they will drive down the cost and make it a potential mass-market product.