The time it takes a driver to glance down at the instrument cluster is typically 0.777 seconds. It may not sound like long, but when traveling at 60 miles per hour, this equates to a distance of 20.8 metres travelled without the driver’s eyes being on the road ahead. Our head-up displays will enhance road safety by helping drivers keep their eyes and their attention where they belong – on the road.

With HLP™, vital information such as speed, road warnings and GPS information is displayed at an apparent distance of 2.5 meters from the driver’s eyes. The display appears to be floating off the end of the vehicle’s bonnet, reducing the need for drivers to shift their focus from the road ahead.

HLP™ steers light to exactly where it’s needed, so the display is extremely bright and easily readable, even in the strongest sunlight. HLP™ is always in focus, enabling the integration of software applications that augment the display with the actual road scene so hazard warnings appear closer as the hazard approaches. The technology is even compact enough to be integrated into a rear-view or wing mirror, presenting critical information on blind spots and stopping distances.

In addition to head-up displays, HLP’s™ ability to project perfectly onto curved surfaces opens up exciting new avenues in automotive design, as demonstrated by our collaboration with BMW. The MINI Center Globe (video on YouTube)is a new vision of the car’s instrument cluster, a three-dimensional display and control console hosting all major entertainment, telecommunication and navigation functions. The MINI Crossover Concept Car, which features the MINI Center Globe, was previewed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show and is the basis on which a series production will be developed in the future.