Hyundai have partnered with Swiss startup WayRay AG to develop what they claim is the world’s first Holographic Augmented Reality (AR) Navigation System.
The development car used is the Hyundai Genesis G80 and it’s on show at CES. Inside Hyundai, they have an innovation division known as CRADLE, who decided to strategically invest in WayRay last September.
The two teams have been working together on AR technology (lets forget about the holographic marketing) and its future impact on the automotive industry.
The biggest advantage of a holographic AR navigation system built into the vehicle is that the stereoscopic image is displayed on the actual road and appropriately adjusted in accordance with the specific viewing angle of the driver, thereby delivering accurate driving guidance.
The driver can enjoy vivid and precise holographic images without wearing a headset. The direction of movement is kept precise through the vehicle speed in real-time, and projecting navigational alerts through the windshield onto the road allows drivers to navigate safely while looking ahead undistracted.
Additionally, while conventional head-up display (HUD) units project a reflected image indirectly through an LCD screen mounted on the dashboard, the holographic AR display projects an image through the windshield.
WayRay’s display shows not only navigational features like lane guidance, destination points, and current speed, but also incorporates ADAS features like lane departure warnings and forward collision warnings. The virtual image of 1,310mm x 3,152mm is projected at a distance of 15m from the driver’s eyes; Hyundai Motor Group has refurbished its HUD to fit WayRay’s system and offer the optimized solution to drivers.
“This demo car is the first step of the proof of concent (PoC), but is an important step towards technology driven innovation. Future mobility windshields will be more than just a piece of glass. AR holographic powered glass will serve as a platform to provide new services and open up new in-vehicle experiences.”
Yunseong Hwang, Director of Open Innovation Business Group from Hyundai Motor Group
The plan is to expand the technology to highlight objects like buses, bicycle lanes, and crosswalks, and additionally, further develop advanced ADAS functions such as a rear side warning system and the Highway Driving Assist (HDA) system.
Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors are concentrating their research and development resources on acquiring AR navigation and other related technologies to improve upon and accelerate the next generation of displays and connected vehicles.
If you’re at CES, then head to the WayRay booth 3110, Las Vegas Convention Center’s North Hall, throughout CES 2019 to check it out.
