US — Ars Technica
Beyond screens: Mercedes-Benz's new holographic heads-up display
Devices1 min read
Mercedes-Benz is developing a new car display called a holographic display. It is a more advanced kind of heads-up display that shows images on the windshield.
What happened
Mercedes-Benz is working on a new way to show information in a car. It is called the holographic display. Unlike a normal heads-up display, it uses a thin, see-through film built into the windshield glass. The film reflects light from a projector, so the picture can be seen by the person it is meant for, but stays hidden from the driver.
Why screens are everywhere in cars
Car makers have been adding more and more screens to dashboards. Screens are often linked to luxury, and a car's screens can hint at its brand and price. But screens can only get so big, and luxury features often spread to cheaper cars over time. So luxury car makers need the next big idea.
Key facts
- The display uses a projector.
- The key part is a special transparent film laminated into the glass.
- The film has tiny holographic optical elements, which Mercedes engineer Lena Hees called "super-small mirrors."
- The image stays visible even in direct sunlight.
Why it matters
This could help drivers keep their eyes on the road instead of looking down at a dashboard screen. It could also give passengers their own screen without the driver seeing it. Today, Mercedes and other luxury cars use driver-monitoring cameras or screen polarization to block the driver's view of the passenger screen.
What to watch
- Whether the holographic display goes into real Mercedes-Benz cars.
- Whether the technology is cheap enough for more mainstream cars.
- How well the film works in real driving conditions.
Glossary
- Mercedes-Benz
- A German luxury car company that makes cars and other vehicles.
- holographic optical elements
- Tiny special shapes in a film that reflect light in chosen directions, like very small mirrors.
- laminated
- Pressed or bonded together in layers, like the layers in a windshield.
- driver-monitoring cameras
- Cameras that watch the driver to check where the driver is looking.
- screen polarization
- A method that limits what a screen can be seen from certain angles.