New Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 Augmented Head-up Display
Opening a new chapter of driving information displays, Volkswagen is introducing an augmented reality head-up display in the latest ID.3 and ID.4 electric models. Despite the technology being a genuine global innovation, the brand continues to pursue their strategy of offering high-tech features at affordable prices.
“We have introduced a genuine innovation in series production, and we have done this not in a premium vehicle, but in the compact models of the all-electric ID. family. Making pioneering technologies available to a large number of customers is a core competency of Volkswagen.”
Frank Welsch, member of the Board of Management for Development.
The new displays project important information onto the windscreen in a separated manor, splitting into two fields and levels. Located in the driver’s field of view, and projected at a virtual distance of 10 metres, the head-up display measures around 1.8 metres. From assist system information, turn arrows and destination starting points, to destinations of the navigation system, the display makes it easier to view important information without impacting the driver’s focus on the road.
What’s more, the system also features a close-range window which is located as a flat band under the large far-range window and displays the driving speed, road signs, and assist and navigation symbols as static displays.
The dynamically displayed information is perfectly placed to fit with the real world outside the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle approaches a junction where it should turn off according to the navigation route, the driver sees two indications. The information is displayed in two stages. In the first stage, an advance notification on the road level is shown, followed by three arrows located at the junction, with the arrows increasing in size the closer the driver gets to the junction. The textures also fade in order to ensure a clear view of the road.
The development of these displays focused on following the basic concept of “Less is more” to ensure the driver is not overwhelmed with distracting information under any circumstances.
The far-range window also visualises the Lane Assist function, showing an orange boundary line at the edge of the road if the vehicle moves closer without indication. With Travel Assist, two green lines appear to keep the car in the middle of the lane. When following another vehicle, the display marks the vehicle in front with a coloured stripe as soon as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) or Travel Assist is activated. When the assist systems are switched off, the driver sees a red warning signal if they drive dangerously close to the vehicle in front.
Underneath the exciting technology, the augmented head-up display is generated by a PGU (picture generation unit) which is located deep inside the dash panel. Using LCD displays with exceptional brightness, the beam bundles are transmitted onto two flat mirrors, with special lenses that separate the portions for the close and far range display levels.
A flat mirror deflects the beams onto a large, electrically adjustable concave mirror which allows the beams reach the windscreen and enter the driver’s field of view. The driver sees the symbols with the same sharp definition as the real world at an apparent distance of just under 10 metres.
Generated by AR, the images are located in one of the two central computers in the ID. models. By calculating the positioning of the symbols corresponding to the surroundings, the AR receives information from the raw data of the front camera, radar sensor and navigation map. The displays that appear in the large window are stabilised with respect to the vehicle’s movements and adapted to the geometry of the optical projection system.
Contact Caffyns Volkswagen for further information and to discover when this exciting technology will become available in the striking ID.3 and ID.4 models.