With distracted driving accounting for 25% of all road accidents and young drivers accounting for the largest demographic using technology while driving, it is imperative to look for solutions to this problem.
It is believed that Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) could be a viable option to prevent driver distractions from other onboard technologies such as the dashboard and center information displays (CID). Drivers currently need to deviate their gaze from the road to look at the onboard diagnostics in the dashboard or the GPS, radio, and telephone in the CID. The use of HUDs means this information is now projected directly to the driver’s line of sight.
HUDs are met with a lot of enthusiasm. They are actively used in the aviation industry, and their potential to further assist the driver in the most adverse and complicated atmospheric conditions is a reason many stakeholders are advocating for its rapid adoption in the automotive space. There are three types of heads-up displays: dedicated combiner, windshield, and augmented reality (AR) HUDs.
The combiner HUD involves projecting an image to a screen between the driver and the windshield. The virtual image is still directed at the driver’s line of sight, but it is often retractable and does not interfere with the windshield’s visibility. The windshield and AR-HUD both have virtual images projected at the windshield and require special coatings to prevent image doubling or ghosting effects. These two types of HUDs are expected to be more immersive, highlighting key obstacles on the road as well as on-board diagnostics (OBD).
This technology can, therefore, be useful in adverse weather conditions where the road’s visibility is reduced. The HUD can be used to signal important obstacles and areas of concern.
However, there is a concern about moderation in the number of images and how immersive this technology must be. While it can be important to highlight road obstacles, too many annotations may be detrimental to a driver’s focus on the road. Too many virtual images can significantly hinder the visibility of the road and can, in turn, impact safety. Finding the balance is important and appears to be the focus of companies in this sector.
HUDs are expected to grow over the coming decade, and technologies that are bright, highly responsive, resilient, durable, immersive, have a small form factor and are cost-effective are best positioned to succeed in this space. TFT-LCDs are the most popular option. However, the growth of computer-generated holography and microLEDs could challenge their dominance middle to long-term. With a CAGR of 24%, this market is expected to surpass US$10 billion by 2034.
