New Technology for Rerouting Navigation Display to Windshields

Date Posted:23 July 2013 

Garmin has developed a new heads-up display device that will allow drivers to project driving information such as navigation maps onto the windshield. According to Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales, drivers will be able to navigate without taking their eyes off the road.

Garmin’s HUD will project directions via Bluetooth onto a sheet of film fitted over the windshield or onto a reflector lens. The new devices could replace dash-mounted GPS devices, and the larger space on the windshield could allow for more detail, according to the company.

The HUD device will come with adjustable brightness levels to improve clarity during day or night. While heads-up displays have been available for some time, they are usually only found in high-end vehicles. The new HUD will be priced in a more affordable price bracket at around US$129.99 for Android, iPhone, and Windows smartphone operating systems.

According to Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, heads-up displays have had a modest uptake because they tend to ‘wash out’ during the day and can be hard to manufacture without changing the windshield design. Enderle says that devices such as Google Glass may prove to be superior in the end.