Continental’s HUD across entire windshield wins CES 2023 Innovation Award

Technology company Continental has won a CES 2023 Innovation Award in the Vehicle Tech & Advanced Mobility category for its leading-edge screen technology, Scenic View Head-up Display (HUD).

This is the latest in screens that clearly display vehicle and route information in the driver’s field of vision. Unlike previous head-up displays, the Scenic View HUD does not project the display onto the transparent area of the windshield, but instead reflects important information for the driver with an exceptionally high light intensity onto a specially coated, black-printed area along the lower edge of the windshield. This produces a razor-sharp image across the entire width of the windshield.

As a result, the Scenic View HUD offers excellent visibility in all lighting conditions and combines the best of both worlds: the intuitive view of a head-up display with the razor-sharp image quality of a conventional screen. This combination enhances safety and driving comfort in equal measure.

Furthermore, projection onto the coated windshield has further benefits. The display, which is virtually superimposed onto the road within the field of vision, can be clearly seen by all vehicle occupants, even through polarized sunglasses. This also means that the Scenic View HUD is able to replace the instrument cluster and passenger display. Additionally, centre-display content can be expanded and supplemented, which was previously not possible with traditional head-up displays.

“With the Scenic View HUD, we are setting a new trend and enabling completely new design options for vehicle designers. We are thereby not only transforming vehicle design but also making a significant contribution to greater road safety. As the interface between vehicle and driver, displays play a crucial role in controlling the flood of incoming information to prevent the driver from becoming distracted or fatigued,” said Philipp von Hirschheydt, head of User Experience Business Area at Continental. “The Scenic View HUD underpins Continental’s pioneering role in the development of smart, personalized screen solutions that enhance driving pleasure, comfort and safety while also representing a decisive factor in the car-buying process.”

Modularity enables cost-efficient pillar-to-pillar effect
For some years now, head-up displays have offered the advantage that, in contrast to traditional screens, they place the display directly in the driver’s field of vision. Immediate perception within the driver’s range of view creates a completely new driving experience and can enhance driving safety.

The driver no longer has to take their eyes off the road to view information on the route, speed, battery charge status. This increases safety and prevents the driver’s eyes from tiring by continuously adjusting the viewing distance between the screen inside the vehicle and the road traffic ahead. To date, head-up displays that project the display into the windshield have not been able to match the resolution and richness of information provided by conventional vehicle displays. Continental says it solves this problem by means of a continuous black printed area across the lower edge of the windshield, which provides for higher contrast and ensures good visibility, even in intense sunlight.

Projection onto the black printed area results in a high-quality display from one A-pillar to the other. The Scenic View HUD gives the impression of a continuous innovative pillar-to-pillar display using three compact, cost-effective screens. For this purpose, several screens are concealed beneath the dashboard and connected to one another. This enables designers to create the interior much more freely than before. And vehicle manufacturers can equip different vehicle variants with different numbers of one and the same display – from two to five screens. Highly efficient matrix backlighting allows screen areas to be switched on or off locally, depending on the area required for the display in question. This optimizes the contrast, brightness and power consumption of the Scenic View HUD.

The market launch of the Scenic View HUD, which Continental will be showcasing for the first time at CES 2023, is planned for 2026.

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