Heads-up displays are undoubtedly novel, and downright useful in the right circumstances. Trouble is, few of these prototypes ever make it beyond the lab, and we're stuck using these same two eyeballs to experience the world around us. General Motors is evidently tired of the almosts, and it's now working in concert with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Southern California in order to concoct one of the most advanced HUD systems that we've seen -- particularly in the automotive world. Setting out to create "enhanced vision systems," GM's R&D team has created a windshield packed with visible and Infrared cameras along with internal optics that keep a close eye on the driver's retinas. In the images and video below (hit the 'Read More' link for the real action), you'll see a solution that utilizes lasers in order to highlight road edges, speed limit signs and all sorts of other vital bits of data during a fog-filled commute. Best of all? We're told that some of these technologies "could end up in GM vehicles in the near-term future." Granted, the Volt was supposed to set sail already, but we suppose we'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt.
Can see it now, google "wants safe driving" offers car manufacturers free HUD integration tools. Ads not optional. Fanboys rally round cheering the benevolance of the spam king
@Itami I think this would be unlikely. What's the point of them implementing this high cost feature when it's already part of a standard SatNav which will be much more reliable.
Also, they'd be opening themselves up to potentially being sued. Sorry officer, my windscreen didn't pick up that last 30 sign and was displaying 70 when I ploughed into this group of school children.
@Itami I was thinking the same thing. Listing the speed limit in the same place on the HUD would be much more useful and less distracting than highlighting it in the real world.
Overall, I think the highlighting of the sign and building looks really bad, but the outlining of roads in foggy/rainy/etc conditions would definitely be an invaluable improvement.
@Itami Except these speed limit is already stored and displayed in many satnavs already. No need for complex data acquisition if it's already in the database.
Bah. One thing car companies excel at is trickling down technology. Tech like this is not really new, but we probably won't see them widely used till 2020. I mean come on, many cars today don't even have proper iPod/iPhone integration.
@pika2000 - So true man. I see this tech like 10 years ago when I was in high school but at that time it was some presentation from the guys at HP. It should a HUD for a car and also a HUD in the helmets of Firefighters. 10 years later and we're still not there yet, lol
BMW/Rolls already have this. The next generation systems for the 2015/6 7 series talk of a HUD (heads up display) showing full colour screen navigation and real time traffic flow, which imo is a little too distracting for the driver.
Too much talking, and not enough video on the HUD built into the windshield. The zooming-in on the speed sign was slow and incredibly annoying and distracting. It would probably cause an accident.
The "highlighting" of the edge of the road in the fog did not actually follow the contours of the road (showing it curving to the left when the road was straight).
Great idea, but I think they need to avoid making any press releases until they actually have something to show. The face tracking system isn't uniquely theirs, you can actually demo/buy similar software to use on your home computer with a web camera.
@cashclientel because people like Toyota can't even get a gas pedal right, Ford can't have one year without a vehicle recall due to some faulty cruise control module (and how long have those been around) let alone incorporate more technology.
@cashclientel As someone who is currently working on detecting road objects in images (people, signs, etc.), I scoff at your comment.
Show me this system running in real time. Until then, I will call shenanigans on stills of road boundaries and painfully slow shrinking sign boundaries that are not even shrinking around a sign.
if i understand it right, they will "augment" the front window with the projected info and all will fitt the position from riders point of view. But can you imagine the point of view of other people in the car? Everything will be moved from it's position and it will be freaking experience to sit in such car.
@cornerback97 Seeing that made me curious if they got their USC's confused. Did they mean the University of South Carolina? It wouldn't be the first typo found on engadget. Gotta love malfunction junction.
That was my first thought as well. If this raises the cost of the actual windshield it's a huge blow to the technology. Where I live, a chip or crack in a windshield every couple of years is hardly uncommon.
@Jodosh The windshield has no sensors. It does have a transparent phosphor coating that lets it display images, though, and that will definitely up the cost a lot. The actual sensors will be mounted elsewhere in the car, such as behind the grill (forward-looking) or on the dashboard (looking at driver).
I never understood why heads-up-displays never really took off. Hell I had a heads up display in my 1993 Nissan Altima GLE. It was great for those drunken nights when the cops ride behind you and you're so nervous to even look down at the speedometer for fear in those few milliseconds you'll veer over the dotted line and get the woop woop red and blues.
In all seriousness though, Jodosh you took the words right out of my mouth. I'd hate to see what one of these windshields will cost once a rock cracks it. There goes deductible free windshield repairs at your local safelite. I can see it now, ohh I'm sorry you'll have to go directly to Mercedes to get that replaced.
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posted March 18th 2010 4:40AM
"Is it the future yet?"
"Yes, alright, it's the freakin' future!"
"LIAR!!!"
@kando
Oh no google adwords on the windscreen HUD.
Can see it now, google "wants safe driving" offers car manufacturers free HUD integration tools. Ads not optional. Fanboys rally round cheering the benevolance of the spam king
@kando : Google Windshield API. :)
@kando As long as I don't forget to check-in with Foursquare at each of those stops I'm good.
It'd be useful for it to read the speed limit and keep it listed somewhere in the car until another one is spotted
@Itami I think this would be unlikely. What's the point of them implementing this high cost feature when it's already part of a standard SatNav which will be much more reliable.
Also, they'd be opening themselves up to potentially being sued. Sorry officer, my windscreen didn't pick up that last 30 sign and was displaying 70 when I ploughed into this group of school children.
@Itami if that's what you want the one-year-old vauxhall/opel insignia already does this
@Itami I was thinking the same thing. Listing the speed limit in the same place on the HUD would be much more useful and less distracting than highlighting it in the real world.
Overall, I think the highlighting of the sign and building looks really bad, but the outlining of roads in foggy/rainy/etc conditions would definitely be an invaluable improvement.
@Itami Except these speed limit is already stored and displayed in many satnavs already. No need for complex data acquisition if it's already in the database.
Bah. One thing car companies excel at is trickling down technology. Tech like this is not really new, but we probably won't see them widely used till 2020. I mean come on, many cars today don't even have proper iPod/iPhone integration.
@pika2000
You mean USB ports.
@Gad Get Same thing. Everytime I see an ad of a car boasting having a CD player/CD changer as a feature, I cried a little inside.
@Gad Get Just FYI, no one cares about media players/smartphones that aren't the iPod or iPhone.
@Tres I don't like the fact but you are correct.
@pika2000
+1990 to that when the first hoohar about impending HUD was announced
@pika2000 - So true man. I see this tech like 10 years ago when I was in high school but at that time it was some presentation from the guys at HP. It should a HUD for a car and also a HUD in the helmets of Firefighters. 10 years later and we're still not there yet, lol
Did anyone see that car ad during MIX10 in the AP app? I can imagine that would be pretty damn attention-getting when coupled with this.
Lazer eyes for teh win
@skoochy Zombie Laser Eyes!!! PEW PEW
BMW/Rolls already have this. The next generation systems for the 2015/6 7 series talk of a HUD (heads up display) showing full colour screen navigation and real time traffic flow, which imo is a little too distracting for the driver.
God I cannot WAIT to install adblock on this. No more billboards!
sadly the demo was pathetic. Lets see if they actually put money towards this project. Doesn't seem like a huge priority according to the display.
hope they do though. It kinda makes a whole lot of sense
@AlexKnutson yup.
Too much talking, and not enough video on the HUD built into the windshield. The zooming-in on the speed sign was slow and incredibly annoying and distracting. It would probably cause an accident.
The "highlighting" of the edge of the road in the fog did not actually follow the contours of the road (showing it curving to the left when the road was straight).
Great idea, but I think they need to avoid making any press releases until they actually have something to show. The face tracking system isn't uniquely theirs, you can actually demo/buy similar software to use on your home computer with a web camera.
This most certainly qualifies as early prototype. I even wonder if the "demos" they showed didn't just have the lines drawn manually...
It's not exactly cutting edge tech so why don't they put this into cars already?
Always surprises me how low tech cars actually are
@cashclientel because people like Toyota can't even get a gas pedal right, Ford can't have one year without a vehicle recall due to some faulty cruise control module (and how long have those been around) let alone incorporate more technology.
@cashclientel
As someone who is currently working on detecting road objects in images (people, signs, etc.), I scoff at your comment.
Show me this system running in real time. Until then, I will call shenanigans on stills of road boundaries and painfully slow shrinking sign boundaries that are not even shrinking around a sign.
Am I the only one who doesn't want my windshield go black, in situations such as John McClane riding a military jet above the highway?
if i understand it right, they will "augment" the front window with the projected info and all will fitt the position from riders point of view.
But can you imagine the point of view of other people in the car? Everything will be moved from it's position and it will be freaking experience to sit in such car.
It's all well and probably useful if it works
but it'd be much better if GM could focus on making less dismal, more reliable cars.
Funny that the highway signs on the screen lead to BMW production territorty (Spartinburg)
Finally, my dreams (wet) come true. Pr0n on a windshield, by Government Motors.
IMMA CHARGIN MAH LAZERZ!
Thank you all. This has been the best series of comments I've ever read on engadget! THANK YOU!
hmm, GM was bankrupt, isn't it?
A picture from Columbia... how quaint.
@Funke Tobias Dr Darn! You beat me to it. I was about to make the same comment but couldn't remember my password to login here. :)
@cornerback97 Seeing that made me curious if they got their USC's confused. Did they mean the University of South Carolina? It wouldn't be the first typo found on engadget. Gotta love malfunction junction.
Do Not Want, could you imagine how much damage (read $$) a rock in the wrong place could do to this "sensor-laden" windshield
@Jodosh
That was my first thought as well. If this raises the cost of the actual windshield it's a huge blow to the technology. Where I live, a chip or crack in a windshield every couple of years is hardly uncommon.
@Jodosh The windshield has no sensors. It does have a transparent phosphor coating that lets it display images, though, and that will definitely up the cost a lot. The actual sensors will be mounted elsewhere in the car, such as behind the grill (forward-looking) or on the dashboard (looking at driver).
I never understood why heads-up-displays never really took off. Hell I had a heads up display in my 1993 Nissan Altima GLE. It was great for those drunken nights when the cops ride behind you and you're so nervous to even look down at the speedometer for fear in those few milliseconds you'll veer over the dotted line and get the woop woop red and blues.
In all seriousness though, Jodosh you took the words right out of my mouth. I'd hate to see what one of these windshields will cost once a rock cracks it. There goes deductible free windshield repairs at your local safelite. I can see it now, ohh I'm sorry you'll have to go directly to Mercedes to get that replaced.
Oh wow, this is in SC. I live close to spartanburg. we've made it big
@das boot i should have clarified. i'm talking about the pictures with the exit signs. lol.
whatever happened to the Cadillac with the infra-red HUD?
I can't imagine how much it will cost to repair a chip in these windshields!
It's head-up, not heads-up.
Hey, friends, it's not heads-up display, it's head-up display.
Halo 3 ODST visor layer anyone?
Our bailout money hard at work. Somehow, I'm not all that impressed with the return on my investment. Government takeover fail.