Sept. 7, 2014–One of the major questions about building more intelligent cars, and perhaps ones that are ultimately self-driving, is how information is communicated to the driver. Today’s technology would allow an absolute flood of information to reach the driver, but the risk of course is that it would cause driver distraction. The traditional goal has always been, “Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel.” In the new world order that is being created, it’s going to be a more complex challenge. Here is one display that was demonstrated at Toyota’s recent Advanced Safety Seminar in Ypsilanti and Detroit:
I’ve seen this kind of heads-up display before in General Motors products like Corvettes, but the information presented is usually only what speed you are going and what gear you are in. This HUD (heads-up display) is much more elaborate and would communicate information to the driver about bicyclists that are about to dart out into the car’s path or would inform the driver about where a parking space was available. This image is from a movie, not from an actual physical driving experience. So it is theoretical still. My point is that this is another technological avenue that could transform how people engage with dars. Structuring the information in a way that it is intuitive and non-distracting (when full attention is needed) are noble long-term goals.
