New BMW Panoramic Vision head-up display helps drivers keep their eyes on the road and keep their hands on the wheel
Head-up displays (HUDs) have been around for quite some time. The first manufacturer to introduce this technology was Oldsmobile, which released the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme in 1988. The technology behind it hasn’t changed drastically as it still uses projection or reflective displays. BMW decided to rethink the HUD and introduced the Panoramic Vision system.
Panoramic Vision assumes a projection across the entire width of the windshield. At the same time, not only the driver, but also passengers will be able to interact with it. The windshield will become a single display, and the driver will be able to decide whether to show the contents to all passengers.
How does this technology make content visible to all passengers? The system displays it using higher light intensity and contrast in dark coated areas near the lower edge of the windshield. In this way, the system creates a very clear image visible across the entire width of the windshield.
The technology was unveiled at this year’s CES Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in the BMW I Vision Dee. The futuristic sedan received a display that combines reality with the virtual world, turning the windshield into a projection surface. Now this technology is planned to be introduced into future electric vehicles of the brand.