Hyundai
CRADLE, the hub for Hyundai’s open innovation business, decided to
strategically invest in WayRay last September in recognition of its leadership
in holographic AR technology and its future growth potential. Prior to this
initial investment, Hyundai Motor Group had been conducting its own preliminary
research on applying holographic technology to vehicles in early 2017 and later
expanded its commitment to producing quality parts with WayRay. The two parties
have continued to develop holographic AR navigation technology in mass-produced
vehicles, with long-term road tests in South Korea to minimize system errors.
“This
demo car is the first step of the proof of concept (PoC), but is an important
step towards technology driven innovation,” said Yunseong Hwang, Director of
Open Innovation Business Group from Hyundai Motor Group, adding that “Future
mobility windshields will be more than just a piece of glass. AR holographic
powered glass will serve as a platform to provide new services and open up new
in-vehicle experiences.”
The
biggest advantage of a holographic AR navigation system built into the vehicle
is that the stereoscopic image is displayed on the actual road and
appropriately adjusted in accordance with the specific viewing angle of the
driver, thereby delivering accurate driving guidance. The driver can enjoy
vivid and precise holographic images without wearing a headset. The direction
of movement is kept precise through the vehicle speed in real-time, and
projecting navigational alerts through the windshield onto the road allows
drivers to navigate safely while looking ahead undistracted.
Additionally,
while conventional head-up display (HUD) units project a reflected image
indirectly through an LCD screen mounted on the dashboard, the holographic AR
display projects an image through the windshield.
WayRay’s
display shows not only navigational features — such as lane guidance,
destination points, and current speed — in augmented reality, but also
incorporates ADAS features like lane departure warnings and forward collision
warnings. The virtual image of 1,310mm x 3,152mm is projected at a distance of
15m from the driver’s eyes; Hyundai Motor Group has refurbished its HUD to fit
WayRay’s system and offer the optimized solution to drivers.
The
two parties will continue to work closely together to expand holographic AR
technology to display people, objects, buses, bicycle lanes, and crosswalks,
and additionally, further develop advanced ADAS functions such as a rear side
warning system and the Highway Driving Assist (HDA) system.
In
addition, they expect the incorporation of V2X (Vehicle to Everything)
technology and connectivity features will allow data such as traffic signals,
surrounding vehicle information, as well as road or weather conditions, to be
provided in real time.
Hyundai
Motor and Kia Motors are concentrating their research and development resources
on acquiring AR navigation and other related technologies to improve upon and
accelerate the next generation of displays and connected vehicles. Not only
will this disruptive technology help Hyundai Motor Group achieve its vision of
a more integrated and seamless blending of automotive technologies, but also
assist in developing other closely related areas of interest such as wearable
robots, smart-buildings, smart-cities and a plethora of other exciting
possibilities.
Besides
this holographic AR navigation demonstrated at CES 2019, Hyundai Motor exhibited
a cocoon-shaped cockpit which allows visitors to get a taste for freedom in
mobility.
Source: Hyundai Motor Group