Volvo hopes to install a new augmented reality head-up display in the car, which will completely change the driving experience, but will it succeed?

Volvo has invested in an Israeli start-up company that is developing a new head-up display (HUD) that covers the entire windshield, which will act as an augmented reality display. Automakers continue to upgrade their technology games to make their models more futuristic in order to enhance the user experience. For many car enthusiasts, the car’s HUD symbolizes how much technological advancement the car manufacturer has incorporated into its design. Volvo's latest innovation may just put the company in the lead, or even ahead of Tesla, because drivers can enjoy cutting-edge experiences while driving on the road with the new HUD.

Although today's models have high-tech components, HUD has a long history. General Motors began to hypothesize the basic HUD as early as 1965, and in the late 1980s, once it had the necessary technology to realize its functions, it would launch the first HUD. Early HUDs displayed simple vehicle data such as speedometer, turn signal, and mileage. Later HUDS broadcast a lot of useful vehicle information, such as car diagnosis, media and music, and GPS navigation. Many luxury car manufacturers like BMW produce high-quality HUDS, some of which can project information on certain parts of the windshield.

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Volvo currently offers HUDs displayed on the windshield. These HUDS will display detailed driving metrics such as turn-by-turn navigation and estimated time of arrival. However, the current windshield HUD has some defects due to its design. The windshield HUD is used as the projected image on the windshield, derived from the equipment in the dashboard. The HUD projected image is sometimes distorted, depending on the refracted sunlight hitting the dashboard or the viewer's angle compared to the HUD projection position. Volvo recently invested in Israeli technology start-up Spectralics, which is introducing new and innovative technologies for HUD and making further progress.

Volvo plans to use a film called "Multilayer Thin Combiner" produced by Spectralics to embed future HUDs directly into the windshield. This new HUD film will ensure that the driver always clearly sees the display indicators while turning the windshield into an augmented reality display. According to reports, Volvo's new HUD will display information or graphics on any part of the windshield, and use cameras to accurately locate and outline street signs, obstacles and roads.

Although Volvo's new HUD looks cool, consumers may want to lower their expectations on the release date. Volvo invested in Spectralics because the company's HUD technology is in line with automakers' ambitions for future car design. The entrepreneurial world is an adventurous endeavor, seeing some players sinking while others swimming, so Spectralics' HUD is likely to never see the light. Nevertheless, if Volvo's new augmented reality windshield HUD goes into production, it may change the way drivers operate all cars in the future.

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Tanner Hall is a technical writer for Screen Rant and has extensive technical experience-he has worked for Microsoft, Apple and various startups. He praised technology for improving human well-being in every corner of the world. He is a dreamer, and he believes that the technology of the future will be our savior. In his free time, Tanner likes to play guitar, practice yoga, learn different languages ​​and absorb great cultures.