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15 Oct 2024
Industrial technology firms sign collaborative agreement eyeing mass production by 2027.
Optics giant Zeiss and the major automotive parts supplier Hyundai Mobis are joining forces on the development of new holographic displays for cars - including a panoramic version extending right across the lower windshield.
Describing the application as a “dream” technology, thus far only imagined in movies or adverts, Seoul-headquartered Hyundai Mobis says that preliminary product development is already under way, with a plan to enter mass production as soon as 2027.
The two firms are known to have created a prototype last month, with a demonstration for global auto makers also conducted in Germany.
Optics and automobiles
In support of the strategic collaboration Hyundai Mobis cites figures from the market consultancy Omdia Research suggesting that the worldwide market for holographic head-up displays (HUDs) will grow to around 7 million units by 2030, thus emerging as a significant new trend in next-generation displays.
Jung Soo-kyung, executive VP and head of the Korean company’s automotive electronics business unit, said:
“Starting with this new technology cooperation utilizing the vehicle's windshield with Zeiss, we plan to expand our concerted efforts in combining optics and automobiles to various fields such as holographic displays for vehicle interiors and exteriors, and 3D rear lamps.”
Zeiss will be collaborating via its micro-optics subsidiary, offering a complete value chain from optical design and mastering through to holographic replication systems for series production.
The Oberkochen-based company says that by integrating its transparent and functional optical film, which is just 100 µm thick, information can be displayed on the transparent in-plane display in the lower section of the windshield.
“This increases driving safety because drivers can view all information at once without taking their eyes off the road,” stresses the firm.
Zeiss points out that the optical film’s photochemical properties can create different patterns when light hits it, thus enabling videos and images to be viewed.
Projector development
Hyundai Mobis will both oversee system development and develop the projection element, a key component within the system.
“In the holographic HUD system, the projector is a device that projects content such as videos and images onto a transparent screen using lenses and reflectors,” it explained.
“This technology requires miniaturization, noise reduction, heat reduction, and thermal management solutions that are optimized for passenger vehicles.”
Zeiss believes that the new approach will enable revolutionary vehicle cockpit designs, partly by rendering obsolete the familiar warning lights that currently appear on a car’s dashboard.
The transparent film and its display function are also expected to allow a new level of in-car comfort, for example by projecting entertainment content directly into the front passenger’s field of view without blocking any visibility outside the vehicle.
Zeiss board member Bernhard Ohnesorge indicated that the initial collaboration could lead to a deeper relationship with Hyundai Mobis in the future, stating:
“Signing this agreement signals the start of a strategic partnership. With our shared vision and trusting partnership, we are raising the benchmark. Together we will set new standards in the automotive industry and revolutionize the way information is displayed in vehicles.”
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