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| A Hyundai Motor Group researcher tests a holographic augmented reality navigation system near the group's Namyang Research Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, in this file photo. The group revealed the technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. |
By Nam Hyun-woo
Hyundai Motor Group revealed a holographic navigation system for its midsize Genesis G80 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Wednesday, the world's first technology to visualize map data on the actual road by directly projecting beams on the windshield.
The technology, a holographic augmented reality (AR) navigation system, was co-developed by Hyundai Motor Group and Swiss deep-tech startup WayRay, following the former's strategic investment into WayRay in September.
"This demo car is the first step of the proof of concept, but is an important step towards technology driven innovation," Hyundai Motor Group Open Innovation Business Group Director Hwang Yun-seong said. "Future mobility windshields will be more than just a piece of glass. AR-powered glass will serve as a platform to provide new services and open up new in-vehicle experiences."
Currently, many high-end cars in the market feature head-up displays (HUDs), which project reflected images indirectly through a bright LCD screen mounted below the windshield.
Thus, the images on the windshield contain relatively limited information that can be displayed on the small LCD, while the driver has to look down to the lower part of the windshield where the images are projected.
Unlike the conventional HUDs, the holographic AR navigation system directly beams stereoscopic images covering nearly all of the windshield, so that the driver can see signs that are 15 meters away on the actual road.
It is also appropriately adjusted in accordance with the specific viewing angle of the driver, allowing the driver to navigate safely while looking ahead undistracted.
Along with navigational information and speed alerts, the new system also incorporates advanced driver assistance features such as lane departure warnings and forward collision warnings.
A Hyundai Motor Group official said the group and WayRay have conducted long-term road tests in Korea to minimize system errors, and will expand the technology to display people, objects, buses, bicycle lanes, and crosswalks, and additionally, further develop advanced driver assistance functions such as a rear side warning and the highway driving assist.
"The group plans to feature this AR navigation system in mass-production cars in 2020," the official said. "When this technology is mass-produced, it will provide a distinctive customer experience and promote the group's reputation as a cutting-edge tech brand."
"As the automotive market is undergoing a profound AR technology-driven transformation, major automakers are quickly adopting AR technologies to find another competitive edge," WayRay CEO Vitaly Ponomarev said.
"I believe the strong partnership with Hyundai will help us scale up our deep-tech innovation to build customer-centric solutions at a meaningful scale and make driving more comfortable and safe for everyone."
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