General Motors and scientists from the University of Southern California and Carnegie Mellon University are working together in the development of a windshield display that will highlight obstacles or…
General Motors and scientists from the University of Southern California and Carnegie Mellon University are working together in the development of a windshield display that will highlight obstacles or objects on the road to warn drivers of hazards in dark or foggy conditions. The enhanced vision system, which operates in real-time, also highlights road edges and landmarks, as well as informing the driver when he is exceeding the speed limit. The GM head-up display (HUD), created by SuperImaging, uses a windshield made of a special glass coated with transparent phosphors, which are clear synthetic materials that glow red or blue when stimulated by tiny UV laser beams bounced off mirrors bundled together near the windshield. The system also includes three cameras to track the driver“s head and eyes to determine where he or she is looking, as well as an array of infrared and visible sensors to identify objects outside the car, the edges of the road, vehicles in the driver“s blind spot, or moving animals at the side of the road. According to Thomas Seder, laboratory group manager at GM“s Human Machine Interface group, the virtual image on the windshield is meant to augment the view of the real external world rather than compete with it. He said the display has been tested in simulations with a number of drivers, who were found to perform better with navigation information displayed using the HUD system than with the more common head-down navigation systems. Seder added that they are still researching the cognitive effects of the display to ensure it increases the information available to drivers, but does not distract them. “The system,” said Seder, is still in the research stage and will not be seen in cars until 2016 or later, when it will probably be paired with other systems such as night vision, or automated sign reading to help reduce costs. It may also include a display of GPS directions directly on the windshield.