The production version would have a much smaller projector opening than those of the prototype and existing heads-up displays. Manual Holstein, a manager working in Mercedes research for future displays, indicated that the projector could be small enough to be hidden behind wood or metal trim pieces. Holstein also said you won’t hear a fan in the production model and that the resolution would improve.
The resolution is certainly considerably better than any current head-up display, including Mercedes’ own, which features augmented reality elements. Full-color, commercial-like videos of the C-Class Electric played during the demonstration, and the display was sufficiently bright, even though Holstein said the prototype was operating at just 20 percent of its maximum brightness.
It’s not there yet
Issues remain, however. The resolution may be good compared to the arrows, script, and graphics of a current HUD, but it’s poor when compared to a passenger touchscreen. The video’s contrast was also too high, and as you can see in the photos, the picture was distorted into a narrow height due to the angle of the windshield. Frankly, no one would choose to watch anything on it over a phone, tablet, or conventional passenger screen. It needs to improve by orders of magnitude before becoming a viable alternative.
Again, though, this is just a prototype. Holstein said the holographic film size, or “eyebox,” can be made much bigger and be raised higher than the HUD-like height of the prototype. He also dismissed the distortion as a problem unique to the prototype.
Imagine nearly half the windshield transformed into a virtual screen that’s visible only to the passenger. Beyond videos or other entertainment, Mercedes envisions the holographic display highlighting points of interest in the view through the windshield. A similar display could be placed on the driver side, showing situational information, enabling video calls, or providing entertainment when parked. In the future, it could even let drivers watch things other than the road when Mercedes’ Level 3 autonomous driving system allows them to take their eyes off it. At the very least, the technology could replace today’s HUDs and their larger projector boxes.
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