BMW was the first European manufacturer to offer a head-up display in 2004 when it became available as an integral part of BMW ConnectedDrive for the 5-Series. Initially head-up displays only showed a car’s speed but nowadays they are used to deliver a lot more information, including navigation directions.
A Head-Up Display is now offered for most BMW models and it has improved considerably over the years as it can display information in full-color, which makes it even easier on a driver.
Research shows that it takes a full second for a normal driver to read the speedo or to glance at a navigation display. While the driver is distracted, without his or her eyes on the road, the vehicle covers a distance of around 14 yards when traveling in urban areas at a speed of 30 mph – and a lot can happen suddenly in that time.
With a head-up display, the time required by the driver to assimilate information is reduced by more than a half, according to BMW, making for safer driving. The virtual image projected onto the windscreen is perceived as “hovering“ at eye level above the hood and is visible only to the driver. Additionally, research shows that this form of display is less tiring as the eye does not have to constantly change between close-range and remote vision.
Of course, fighter pilots have long relied on a head-up display, especially as they fly over hilly terrain at a speed of 500 mph plus. BMW brags that its new full color Head-Up Display is even better than the monochrome head-up display technology in many jet fighters. Perhaps BMW should license their technology to jet fighter manufacturers.
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