CNET On Cars - Top 5: Reasons for head-up displays in your car

Head-up display technology is emerging as one answer to driver distraction. Brian Cooley offers his top five reasons you need a HUD in your car.

[TheVo]

Finally 60FPS on CNET! About time they do this :)

[xxkrilsxx]

What's a good brand to checkout if I don't want the plexiglass setup? I would love to find a HUD that projects on windshield mirror like new cars

[austinthewang]

I want a HUD, but they are so expensive and rare! (aftermarket)

[ccrcdr]

HUD display that has been around since the 1988 Cutlass has always made since but its not new by any shape of the imagination. And I could see the HUD display fine in any light condition in my 2001 Buick Lesabre until I put on polarized sunglasses What it needs is to be improved. The cell phone huds works ok if you want to leave your phone in the heated dash but is not as visible as the GM factory stuff, and again mo polarized sunglasses.

[cbcdesign]

I have a HUD in my car and have used it now for nearly 4 years. You get used to it very quickly and the idea of having to look down at a speedometer seems archaic. Simple speed HUDs are not distracting at all either, you would think they would be but they just aren't and good ones can be seen in the sun just as well as they can be seen at night. Sat Nav versions like mine which is built into the car are very good too.

[venkeileo]

Hi Is this Product out in the market to buy, is this comparable for all new cars.

[PRM]

The display is so small not all ppl can read small print they got to make hud displays bigger

[vinnaaay]

Which car company started using hud's first? Was it Chevy?

[ozzyfromspace]

HUD's need to be as minimalistic as possible, otherwise they'll just serve as new distractions for drivers. From a design stance, this might mean, for instance, that no virtual roads should get projected onto the tarmac unless the driver manually turns such systems on while navigating unfamiliar terrain.

To the intelligent creators bringing these systems to life, my advice is to keep the UI Apple-simple: you normally won't access to any more information than the vehicle's speed and energy gauges. Then there's the issue of the actual technology. A simple piece of reflective plastic showing you a holographic image won't cut it. There are many other, more sound, design options. For instance, developing a windshield to display contextually placed information, much like A.R., might show promise. 

HUD's are a fine concept, but no company has yet implemented the technology adequately.

Best wishes to the fine engineers working on this,


-Float Circuit.

[johnadams]

Don't tell this to the Tesla people. They will have a heart attack.

[michealcooksey]

Number 1 reason for not owning it: I am a halfway decent driver and honestly people learn to drive so you dont side swipe me or come dangerously close to running me off the free way.

[professorfidelcat]

Wow like driving a blue thunder helicar, ..wheres the torpedo target lock screen?

[MrEngland]

Bmw have already got most of the things in this video! That's why everyone loves the Germans, always ahead of the game

[Seiserism]

can u even see your hud when the sun is glaring upon your screen ?!?!?

[ztuber]

I don't want a constant distraction when i'm looking forward. hud will be as bad as texting with people focusing on it.

[graphguy]

You need to get a real job  if you think HUD are good.

[JJkilr]

your refocus??? are you serious? dramatically change your focus??? wow guess we have a lot of impaired people driving

[EJPCRSKW]

Totally incoherent.
#5 isn't a reason any driver should care about, and most cars don't have it anyway.
#4 is basically self-contradictory. A head-up display could be that channel.... Or not. Zero evidence.
#3 is also self-contradictory. There is no reason why engine temperature need to be in your field of vision constantly at all, let alone on the hood of the vehicle.
#2 Yet another self-contradiction. Either there is no refocus, taking zero time, or there is a refocus, taking a finite time. Make up your mind.
#1 You cannot see everything at once. Nobody can, and no technology will change that.
There are no doubt reasons in favour of HUD, especially for aiming weapons, but we don't need these urgers ladling out acres of BS to sell it.