Putting the AR into Car

Augmented reality is already familiar in smartphones and products such as Google Glass, but what potential is there for AR in the driver’s seat?

8. 2. 2016 Škoda World INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIVITY

ŠKODA is embracing new AR technology and looking at ways it can be used to enhance the driving experience. Likely first candidates are windscreens and windows. All the transparent surfaces of the car will one day be used for displaying information about the surroundings and environment, as well as opening up possibilities for entertainment screens and communication between vehicles. Navigation tools and warnings might also be displayed on the windscreen and windows.

The near future is likely to see what Karel Švábek, Head of the TF Engineering Department, calls “digital cockpits” – integrated devices that display information in response to the on-road situation. “Generally, the trend is to display the most important information in the driver’s direct field of vision, and that is what head-up displays are for.”

But with safety a primary concern, when the driver needs to concentrate fully on the road ahead, AR will offer only the most important inputs without obstructing visibility.