Volvo Wants To Turn Your Entire Windshield Into A Head-Up Display CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News Volvo Wants To Turn Your Entire Windshield Into A Head-Up Display

Volvo Wants To Turn Your Entire Windshield Into A Head-Up Display

Nov. 26, 2021 7:59 AM ET by Karl Furlong Technology / 1 Comment This is the next level of augmented reality. For as long as we can remember, Volvo has been obsessed with automotive safety. This is, after all, the company that helped to popularize retractable three-point seat belts. It's also the company that conducts some of the most extreme crash tests in the industry. Now, Volvo Cars has announced an investment in Spectralics, an optical and imaging technology startup. This move comes via the company's venture capital investment arm known as the Volvo Cars Tech Fund. Volvo's investment will give the Swedish automaker access to groundbreaking technologies that could transform the in-car experience. One of these technologies could enable the largest head-up display seen in the industry so far. Volvo Carbuzz Israeli-based Spectralics has a background in aerospace technology development, so it's perhaps not a great surprise that the company has come up with a multi-layered thin combiner (MLTC) solution with a thin optics 'film' that can see through surfaces of various sizes and shapes. The tech could be used to overlay images across a vehicle's entire windshield. This would dramatically widen the driver's field of view and virtual objects can be superimposed onto the actual environment perceived by the driver. Considering that current head-up displays are around 10 inches in size, this could be a huge step forward. Volvo Volvo Volvo The technology can also be used for blind-proof front-looking cameras, in-cabin sensing, or digital holographic projections. Think of it as an evolution of current augmented-reality head-up display systems. We could see this tech being employed in luxury models like the upcoming electric successor to the XC90, before filtering down to smaller Volvos like the XC40 Recharge. As long as the automaker can figure out a way for the tech to be helpful rather than distracting, it could prove extremely useful in limiting accidents since the driver's field of vision would be expanded. "Spectralics is an exciting company with technology that holds truly great promise," said chief product officer at Volvo Cars, Henrik Green. "By supporting their development, we can bring forward the potential their products could have in future Volvo cars." Volvo Volvo Volvo

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Volvo XC90 Karl Furlong Senior Editor Sweaty-palmed hot laps are fun, but Karl is a gearhead cut from a different cloth - or is that finely stitched Nappa leather? An E23 BMW 7 Series was the first car he fell madly in love with three decades ago, and this affection for Autobahn-conquering luxury sedans has persisted. Following studies in copywriting and journalism, along with stints in TV scriptwriting and marketing that had far too little to do with cars, Karl kept the fire burning by writing for automotive websites on the side, including a Florida-based auto repair shop and another for Porsche enthusiasts. It all came together when he joined CarBuzz in 2019. He has penned some of the latest news, reviews, and features ever since. Contact Karl @FuelAffection LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top