DistanceTechnologies Unveils 3D Windshield Head-Up Display Prototype
TapTechNews June 26th news, DistanceTechnologies has released a prototype of a 3D windshield head-up display that can turn a car's windshield into a full-color 3D head-up display.
According to TheVerge, the company founded by the founder of Varjo debuted this prototype at the 2024 Augmented Reality World Expo in Long Beach, California. The prototype projects a clear image onto the windshield through an LCD panel with a parallax barrier, creating a larger display area than traditional head-up displays, and also supports voice and gesture control.
TapTechNews noticed that despite having a unique design concept, but this prototype also has problems such as high cost, low brightness, and eye-tracking issues. Currently, the brightness of the display is only 100 nits, far lower than the 10,000 nits of brightness required outdoors. The eye-tracking device has serious latency issues and often fails to track the user's line of sight, resulting in distorted images. This technology still needs significant upgrades before it can be applied in the consumer automotive field.
Jussi Mäkinen, co-founder and chief marketing officer of DistanceTechnologies, said that although they are constantly improving the software technology, the hardware design using a parallax barrier is only a stopgap measure, and they will focus more on software-defined optical technology. Chief Executive Officer Urho Konttori disclosed some details, stating that the prototype can project a semi-transparent 3D display on the driver's side of the windshield. This technology borrows from the technology of Varjo's extended reality (XR) head-mounted display, using a computer-generated 3D light field to blend with the real world to provide a full-angle depth of field effect without the need to wear a device, thereby achieving maximum immersion.
Urho Konttori believes that this technology may bring mixed reality that doesn't require a head-mounted display or glasses into the mainstream market. According to VentureBeat, although further improvements are needed, military contractors and aerospace enterprises may be the first to integrate this technology into commercial and military cockpits and vehicles. With the continuous iteration of technology, more business prospects are expected to emerge.