Are You Ready for Augmented Reality in your Car?
2 July 2021
Will augmented reality (AR) technology in automobiles become more mainstream than AR headsets or glasses? If current trends continue, that will likely be the case. Augmented reality features are already deployed by several automobile manufacturers and options for aftermarket augmented reality products is growing. Due to the regulatory issues of fully autonomous driving and other constraints that still need to be worked through before autonomous driving technology is widely adopted, it’s a good bet that augmented reality will be the next automotive technology to be seen on the roadways.

Benefits of augmented reality for automobiles
By overlaying crucial information for the driver within their line of sight, augmented reality can improve safety. Instead of a driver needing to look down at the dash or to their phone to get driving data or information, the promise of augmented reality would have the info available on a heads-up display, the windshield or projected on the road ahead in the driver’s line of sight. In addition to helping with navigation and data from gauges, augmented reality can make the driver aware of hazards on the road or other emergency notifications. Through Nissan’s Invisible-to-Visible technology, car drivers in the future could opt to have an augmented reality passenger in the car who can interact with them, perform co-pilot duties, and more.
Augmented reality features used by auto manufacturers today
There are several cars on the road today manufactured by BMW, Chevrolet, Jaguar, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Bez, MINI, Toyota and Volvo that have augmented reality features. Using heads up displays (HUD) these vehicles project data such as speed, gas levels, lane guidance, directions, and more. Some companies are using augmented reality and their mobile apps to create AR owner’s manuals. Drivers can download apps to their mobile device and then use computer vision to identify specific features of the cabin. Then, the relevant information about the cabin’s features is presented to the driver. Currently, there is also a lot of aftermarket HUDs available for drivers to modernise their vehicles, so it’s not necessary to purchase a new model to enjoy AR functionality.
Augmented reality in the future
What driver hasn’t had to react quickly to avoid a crash when another vehicle was in their blind spot? The rearview mirror of the future, using AR technology, will detect a blind-spot threat and actively show a video feed of it in the rearview mirror. Another rearview mirror enhancement of the future will be the “hybrid view” mirror that combines the rear and side view camera images together to create an unobstructed panoramic view of what’s behind you. Rearview mirrors will probably still maintain the reflective glass so that you are still able to see even when the system blows a fuse, or the technology fails.
Similar to Apple’s FaceID, rearview mirrors of the future will have iris scanning to identify a driver. Once a driver is identified, the car will be able to adjust seating, temperature, and music to the driver’s preferences.
HUDs represent the first-generation AR technology for automobiles, but soon essential information is expected to be displayed on the windshield or projected on the roadway. Although this concept was explored as early as the 1980s when General Motors experimented with showing the speed display on the windshield, automakers have primarily focused on HUDs and will ultimately drive when and how this technology is used on windshields in the future.
Nevertheless, it is expected that your vehicle’s windshield will be the heads up display of the future. EyeDrive is one solution, now available for pre-order, that turns any car windshield into a holographic surface. Drivers will be able to access their favourite apps, use voice commands, and gestures to control the system and make phone calls. Concerns about minimising distractions as well as keeping the driver tuned into reality and not falling into “game mode” also need to be addressed as AR for windshields is rolled out. But this application could be very practical for learning how to drive on the road and on the racetrack.
Some of the world’s largest tech companies have not been overtly involved in AR for vehicles, although it seems plausible that Apple, Google’s parent company Alphabet and Tesla and the complementary tech they have already launched would allow them to quite easily create AR tech initiatives for the automotive industry. These would be companies to watch as AR for automobiles evolves.
Related Articles
What is Auto-GPT? A Next-Level AI Tool Surpassing ChatGPT?
Like many people, you may have had your mind blown recently by the possibility of ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) like the new Bing or Google’s Bard.[...]
How To Upgrade From Data-Driven To AI-Driven Marketing Analytics
We’re told that data is the key to business success. But how do we go about turning data into money?[...]
The 5 Biggest Problems With Blockchain Technology Everyone Must Know About
Blockchain technology has undeniably captured the imagination of the tech world and beyond, offering the promise of decentralized, transparent, and tamper-proof systems.[...]
How to Make AI Work in Your Organization
As the world continues to embrace the transformative power of artificial intelligence, businesses of all sizes must find ways to effectively integrate this technology into their daily operations.[...]
The 3 Biggest Digital Threats And How To Protect Yourself
Our digital footprints are bigger than ever. We bank online. We shop online. We order the Friday night takeaway from our phones.[...]
Artificial Intelligence In Space: The Amazing Ways Machine Learning Is Helping To Unravel The Mysteries Of The Universe
Space travel, exploration, and observation involve some of the most complex and dangerous scientific and technical operations ever carried out. This means that it tends to throw up the kinds of problems that artificial intelligence (AI) is proving itself to be outstandingly helpful with.[...]
Stay up-to-date
- Get updates straight to your inbox
- Join my 1 million newsletter subscribers
- Never miss any new content
Social Media