Read your car data easily with the HUD technology

Nowadays cars present to the driver so much information that often it is hard to read it with a glimpse. For this reason car manufacturers designed several alternative solutions to deliver in an easier way all, or at least the most important, information.

One of the methods that they use is borrowed from the military aviation. It is the Head-up displays (HUD) technology that shows the data to the pilot without interfering with its view. In the motor vehicle case data, for example, can be speed, turn signals, oil signals or any warning that requires the driver’s attention.

The advantages for the driver are obvious but the car manufacturers will also gain the possibility to show even more information. Using for example software that gives priority to the single data based on the situation the HUD can show only relevant information. Or GPS positioning software can “talk” with the head-up display to continuously update the image to better guide the driver.

As for the actual implementation most car use a projector positioned behind the rear-view mirror or below the dash. The image sources recently used are based on the LCD technology with special attention devoted to the laser. The information is displayed directly on the windshield above the steering wheel so the driver can safely and easily read them all.

This technology is so useful that all the major car manufacturers are starting to incorporate it in the most advanced models. For example Siemens and BMW worked together to provide HUD in the current 5- and 6-series models.

A Japanese corporation, Denso, is already working on the next step: a three-dimensional HUD. This opens incredible scenarios for both the manufacturer and the driver and as it becomes widespread the costs should drop too. Let’s just hope it happens sooner than later.