HUD ("Heads Up Display") Discussion

[melindav]

it negates the whole point of single centre screen with simplified dash (which is to eliminate the traditional instrument panel and reduce cost and time for manufacturing)

IMO, the (presumed) HUD is why there is just a single center screen and a simplified dash. Without 'something', those two wouldn't be happening.
And just to toss something else out there, if it's not going to be a HUD, there's the possibility there could be a screen 'strip' in what the silver proto has in white spanning the dash - similar to the Porsche design with the 3D display

 

[electracity]

IMO, the (presumed) HUD is why there is just a single center screen and a simplified dash. Without 'something', those two wouldn't be happening.
And just to toss something else out there, if it's not going to be a HUD, there's the possibility there could be a screen 'strip' in what the silver proto has in white spanning the dash - similar to the Porsche design with the 3D display

That's a good point.
But I don't see how more advanced autopilot is safe without something like advanced HUD. Although perhaps there is no need for more advanced display with the next iteration of autopilot.

 

[alseTrick]

Is that blue object on the left another vehicle being detected by the sensors (yellow)?

HUD must-haves (for me):
*speed (and speed limit if feasible)
*all safety features (lane departure, blind spot, front collision, etc)
*direction (N, S, E, W, etc)
*navigation assist
*temperature
*time
*gear (P, R, N, D)
*miles of battery left
*mpg equivalent/fuel efficiency

I don't care about a music/radio display or a receiving/sending calls/texts display. I can see how it'd be safer to have a HUD display it than people taking their eyes off the road to mess with these items. But it would also seem to encourage these driving distractions.

EDIT: For the record, I absolutely DO NOT WANT a U-shaped steering wheel. I feel like missing 1/3 to 40% of the wheel would be a PITA when performing sharp turns and u-turns.

*turning signals

 

[electracity]

* headlights on/high beam

 

[JeffK]

One argument that all models (even the base model) would have the HUD hardware because all models are going to have the autopilot hardware.

If someone purchases just the base model plus autopilot then is it cheaper to make an entirely custom car or to simply enable via software?

Lasers and LEDs are dirt cheap in comparison to the other hardware needed. The true cost for everything is probably under a few hundred dollars and will be included in the autopilot convenience feature charge if not in the base car price itself. I think, if done correctly, this feature will end up selling more cars.

Think about a heads up display like that plus the performance of a Tesla and spaceship like steering controls. It'd be a car straight out of a futuristic movie.

 

[electracity]

I think the steering wheel shown at the reveal is the final steering wheel but without the buttons. I don't think Tesla can use a design that forces drivers to hold the wheel at 9 & 3, can they?

 

[jkk_]

EDIT: For the record, I absolutely DO NOT WANT a U-shaped steering wheel. I feel like missing 1/3 to 40% of the wheel would be a PITA when performing sharp turns and u-turns.

Yeah, ditto.

I think the steering wheel shown at the reveal is the final steering wheel but without the buttons. I don't think Tesla can use a design that forces drivers to hold the wheel at 9 & 3, can they?

I think people are misinterpreting Elon's "it will feel like a space ship" comment. I doubt that the wheel in the reveal is the final, looked hideous but that being said, rather that than these weird controllers. Why make driving more difficult?

 

[Drivin]

I think the steering wheel shown at the reveal is the final steering wheel but without the buttons. I don't think Tesla can use a design that forces drivers to hold the wheel at 9 & 3, can they?

I hope so!

9-3 is now the recommendation from the NHSTA. Once again Tesla is a leader!
“9 and 3”—a better way to grip the steering wheel | Progressive

 

[Topher]

I hope so!

9-3 is now the recommendation from the NHSTA. Once again Tesla is a leader!
“9 and 3”—a better way to grip the steering wheel | Progressive

Will they expect us to suicide knob it? Hand over hand isn't possible on the Kitt car.

Thank you kindly.

 

[Topher]

Although perhaps there is no need for more advanced display with the next iteration of autopilot.

As we have seen in recent news, auto-pilot is more than just steering the car. It must also communicate accurately to the driver, so the driver is confident about what the car is sensing and doing. That is going to require something more than the center console display.

Thank you kindly.

 

[gigglehertz]

I hope no HUD ever gives that many cluttered images as that Mobileye video. I don't want to see a lot of confusing high tech looking crap like what you see from every cyborg eye view in every sci fi movie. Keep it clean and simple. Let the user configure it. The Continental video on YouTube does a pretty good job of giving the type of feedback I see in Tesla's autopilot from what I can tell from watching videos online.

 

[voip-ninja]

Think about a heads up display like that plus the performance of a Tesla and spaceship like steering controls. It'd be a car straight out of a futuristic movie.

Someone would have to describe said controls to convince me that anything innovative is going to happen in that space. Companies have floated the idea of HOTAS (Hands On Throttle And Stick) type interfaces on automobiles for decades but it's never materialized in production cars because it would suck. Driving a car on a mostly flat 2D surface is completely different than flying an aircraft in 3-axis space. When flying a plane I can briefly let go of the controls completely and nothing bad is going to happen, not the case when driving an automobile.

 

[JeffK]

When flying a plane I can briefly let go of the controls completely and nothing bad is going to happen, not the case when driving an automobile.

Unless autopilot is amazing...

 

[Booga]

I was thinking about the HUD, and most of the discussion has been focused on the front windshield. What if it were on the side? Could Tesla "emulate" a side view mirror and win over regulators to allow for the elimination of a mirror based item? This would improve aerodynamics and help get approval, because driver behavior is less changed. In this scenario, people would still be used to rotating their head to see what's going on and I believe that was one of the sticking points for why cars can't remove the side view mirror yet.

 

[S'toon]

Someone posted this video from a HUD manufacturer in another thread.

While I hate a lot of the features in the video, the part I like is the integration of the GPS onto the HUD telling you which turn to take. One of the things I hate about my GPS is when it says something like "Take the road right in 100m" and you follow the instructions, and there's 3 roads branching off from that point, and I take the wrong one, misreading which road to take from the screen.

Maybe Tesla would let us to choose to some extent what we want displayed on the HUD, similar to the way Model S owners can choose what they want displayed on their dash display.

 

[favo]

I hope no HUD ever gives that many cluttered images as that Mobileye video. I don't want to see a lot of confusing high tech looking crap like what you see from every cyborg eye view in every sci fi movie. Keep it clean and simple.

Certainly not. The Mobileye video shows all the objects EyeQ can recognize and is clearly meant for development/diagnostics. The Continental and TI videos show an interface meant for end users. If Tesla ends up dong a HUD, I'm sure it will be clean and at least somewhat customizable.

 

[ecarfan]

They might also be able to have (manual) fine tuning that further corrects for driver's head position.

I've been thinking about that as well. If Tesla does do an "augmented reality" type of HUD than they will have to have a "head calibration" function where the user, through some kind of control on the touchscreen, adjusts the HUD based on their head position. Of course that would be saved to their Driver Profile.

 

[JeffK]

through some kind of control on the touchscreen, adjusts the HUD based on their head position.

I'd hope this is not the case actually. We've come a long way with face detection and eye movement detection. This should be totally automated.

 

[alseTrick]

Yeah, ditto.

I think people are misinterpreting Elon's "it will feel like a space ship" comment. I doubt that the wheel in the reveal is the final, looked hideous but that being said, rather that than these weird controllers. Why make driving more difficult?

Agreed. No way it's only some partial steering wheel. It's misinterpretation by fans/media. The sad part is that a lot of people actually think an in incomplete steering wheel is a good idea. Sheesh. And I'd be fine with the reveal steering wheel over the U-shaped junk I've seen suggested on the internet. Gross.

 

[deonb]

I'd hope this is not the case actually. We've come a long way with face detection and eye movement detection. This should be totally automated.

In real time, with constantly changing light conditions? Im not so sure. I dont want a FWD style experiment on the car. At least AR hud is off the shelve this year - Tesla would probably not even be the first to release it.