Car technology is constantly improving. Features that once seemed like science fiction are now reality. The yearly Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is an event where companies show off the innovations that are coming soon to buyers everywhere. This year, one of the many car safety technologies unveiled at the show was an adventurous new Head-Up Display (HUD) designed to help drivers.
How This HUD Differs From Others
According to an article from CNET, the display makes a driver’s windshield look like a racing video game screen. The technology projects information onto the windshield to minimize the amount of time a driver might look away from the road, as those moments of looking away are often those when car crashes occur.
Some of the information projected is similar to that projected by currently available HUD systems, with a few new items: your route, your speed and the speed limit of the street you are on, highlights on bicyclists or anything else in your path, and more.
What sets this system apart from others, however, is its video game-like interface. It is integrated into the driver’s view very carefully, rather than being limited to the side of the windshield where a driver might have to look away anyway.
Criticisms Of Head-Up Displays In Cars
Unfortunately, this new HUD does not overcome criticisms that these systems actually cause more distractions for drivers. While it might seem convenient and look nice, there has not been any recent, independent, widely published study to show whether or not HUD technology of any kind actually achieves what it promises. This should be kept in mind when considering adding this technology to your vehicle.