Volkswagen ID to get 'revolutionary' head-up display tech

Volkswagen's new ID electric car will completely reinvent vehicle instrumentation systems when it is launched at the end of the decade, according to VW brand design boss Klaus Bischoff.

He told Autocar that by moving the motor to the rear of the car and much of the climate control system into the nose, he and his team have been able to push the dashboard forward by at least 200mm. Releasing this extra space will enable VW engineers to use a new technology called ‘augmented HUD’ (head-up display).

Bischoff said the new system will be able to project information and pictograms to appear as if they’re some 15 metres ahead of the driver. The upshot is that navigation directions such as turn arrows will appear as if they are on the surface of the road itself.

By the time the technology hits showrooms, this feature will expand well beyond navigation. It will also be able to highlight approaching hazards, such as pedestrian crossings and stationary obstructions in the carriageway, and zero in on parts of a slippery road surface.

This depth of information will become available as more and more vehicles are connected to the HERE mapping cloud.

The HERE system — owned by Audi, BMW and Daimler — uses both hyper-accurate Lidar-based 3D maps and information gathered from millions of vehicle sensors to distribute live information and safety warnings to vehicles currently being driven on those roads.

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