Pioneer announces the release of its augmented reality NavGate head-up display (HUD) for smartphone navigation apps that projects navigation information just above the line of sight. It will be on public display for the first time in Berlin at IFA 2013.
The groundbreaking unit attaches to the driver’s sun visor and projects navigation, traffic and other information in full colour just above the horizon, allowing drivers to keep eyes on the road at all times while navigating.
Using a Digital Light Processor (DLP) projector for high contrast and deep colour saturation, Pioneer’s NavGate HUD creates what looks to the driver like a 30-inch display, sitting about 3 metres in front of them. Location information is presented as a natural part of the landscape for more intuitive driving. The NavGate HUD is compatible with the CoPilot and NNG’s iGO primo smartphone apps and displays navigation instructions, points of interest, road hazards and much more.
Initially used in aviation and further developed over the years, head-up display technology contributes towards safe driving by displaying useful information in high resolution within the driver’s direct line of sight, which means they don’t have to take eyes off the road to follow directions.
Research has shown that most drivers take a whole second to read the speed indicator in the instrument panel or to look at a mobile device. Pioneer’s NavGate HUD enables more focused driving by significantly reducing the time required by the driver to process the information they see. The driver’s eyes don’t constantly have to change between close-range and remote vision.
Girish Janday, product executive at Pioneer, said: “Two essential elements for driving are having a clear view on the road and knowing where you’re going. Our NavGate HUD has been designed with both of those ideas in mind, ensuring drivers navigate without losing focus, keeping distractions to a minimum. As it’s an aftermarket device, the NavGate HUD mounts right onto the car’s sun visor and can easily be removed for theft protection. Its competitive price-point will open up this innovative technology to a broader audience.”
All information shown on the NavGate HUD has been carefully selected for usefulness and low distraction for the greatest safety. Clear and simple instructions allow the driver to fully focus on the road ahead. Aside from showing turn-by-turn directions, the unit is able to display a clock, the current speed and speed limits, speed and red light camera warnings, the distance to the destination, as well as the estimated time of arrival. To provide better vision and reduce power consumption, the NavGate HUD incorporates light sensors which automatically adjust the brightness of the projections according to the amount of light.
Pioneer’s NavGate HUD supports various smartphones, which connect to the unit via USB. To control the NavGate HUD, the user simply has to install the CoPilot or iGO primo smartphone apps and activate the HUD function through in-app purchase. Both apps offer clear voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, which can be heard through the smartphone speaker or through a Bluetooth car stereo. Any music that’s being played through the smartphone or car speakers (via Bluetooth) will be faded out before the voice starts giving directions. Even while the driver is calling or using other apps, the NavGate HUD will display the navigation instructions.
Availability
The NavGate HUD will be available from October 2013 at Pioneer car audio dealerships. For further information on pricing and availability, please contact your local Pioneer distributor.
For more information, please visit: http://www.pioneer.co.uk/