We've all seen those science-fiction and action movies, which show the heroes/heroines looking at an augmented display on a clear screen - well, here's the automotive world's take on this future-tech. Futurus, a company which specialises in such forward-thinking ideas, has come up with a 'Mixed Reality interactive windshield' and BMW will be the first car company to take up the feature.
Augmented reality
This is the ultimate evolution of not taking your eyes off the road. Where various technologies like touchscreen infotainment, head-up displays and digital instrument clusters try to project as much detail into the driver's eyeline as is physically possible, the windscreen is an otherwise blank space that is under-utilised. So Futurus has blended augmented-reality vehicle and navigation information together and beamed it onto the windscreen itself, providing the driver with all the items they could need while motoring along.
It works through the use of two independent layers, one which allows drivers to detect potential hazards up to 50 metres in the distance - including cyclists, pedestrians and objects on the road - while the other can display audio-visual content and social media data without, apparently, distracting the driver.
Futurus is collaborating with leading car manufacturers globally on advanced mixed-reality technologies, and augmented-reality head-up-display units (HUDs). In addition to BMW, Futurus is working with SAIC-owned Maxus, and Singulato, the fast-growing Chinese electric and autonomous car maker.
Next-gen HUD
Uber Wu, the chief scientist at Futurus, said at the launch of the windscreen at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas: "Vehicle manufacturers must adopt MR technology if they want to offer a truly safe yet immersive experience in the next generation of vehicles. The in-cabin experience has not changed radically in decades, our windshield transforms the driver and passenger journey. The technology is the first step towards a smart windscreen that delivers personalized, interactive in-car entertainment, e-commerce and enhanced safety features, thanks to split-screen technology that doesn't distract the driver."
Alex Xu, CEO of Futurus Technology, adds: "In-car AR head-up-displays (HUD) are installed in relatively few models and offer limited performance, but in the next few years, we will produce a smarter Hybrid-Reality windshield display that provides the safest ride to mass-market vehicles."