TAIPEI: A Taiwanese automotive electronics design company expects its patented technology for head-up displays (HUDs) to be widely embedded into electric and commercial vehicles by 2023.
FIC (First International Computer) has developed full colour laser beam scanning technology for HUD products and was recently recognised as a CES 2021 Innovation Honoree earlier this month.
According to FIC spokesman Alex Dee, its laser tech offers drivers the most comfortable, clearest and safest imaging effect in any weather conditions.
He said the FIC tech prevents direct sunlight from interfering with the projected image, and can automatically adjust the brightness during driving.
"Many of the HUD products in the market today are built by applying TFT (thin-film-transistor) or DLP (digital light processing) technology, and most of them will reduce the display clarity due to the influence of natural light, which will cause the driver's eyes to be tired easily and the projected images become blur in some way," said Dee.
In recent years, augmented reality (AR) technology has evolved from 2D images to 3D projection.
Similarly, when AR technology is applied to daily driving, all data information of vehicle will no longer be limited to the digital instrument cluster.
FIC said its full colour laser beam scanning technology can clearly project the AR images 5-50 metres ahead on the road under strong sunlight, heavy rain and foggy situations, enhancing safety.
In addition, eye tracking technology has been applied into the FIC augmented reality head-up display system, so it can automatically track the driver's eyes and provide vehicle information like speed, navigation, traffic warning, forward collision detection, lane departure warning, pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition and other important warning signals on the windshields in order to assist the drivers pay more attention on the road instead of looking down at the cluster upon driving.
At the same time, when these messages are displayed through AR technology, the virtual images and the real traffic environment are integrated in 3D in order to provide the driver with a clearer, safer and more convenient driving experience.
