The HUD question - Will e.g. Panasonic's AR HUD replace Tesla IC?

[AnxietyRanger]

Ignoring for a moment the anti-sell, and even the spaceship control comments from Elon Musk, and just considering a few things:

- Tesla is moving towards no-instrument cluster, low dashes with Model 3
- Tesla is introducing interior camera with Model 3
- Model S/X dash is getting old, rumoured to be revised "soon"
- Tesla has been hiring augmented reality experts
- Tesla is upgrading their media systems from Nvidia to Intel
- Tesla is a strategic partner with Panasonic
- Augmented reality HUDs are a big thing in industry talk at the moment

Could an augmented reality HUD (maybe 2/3 of the windshield in size?), possibly from Panasonic, thus be, as some rumors say, replacing or augmenting the instrument cluster in a future Model S interior facelift? Making use of the revised interior design and upgraded computer and camera setup as well...

Certainly an augmented reality HUD is something where Tesla's software upgradeable platform would fit in nicely.

Panasonic wants to expand partnership with Tesla to self-driving technology, says CEO

Panasonic presents next-generation Augmented Reality Head-Up Display | Panasonic Automotive Systems Europe

Panasonic Automotive’s Head Up Display (HUD) with Augmented Reality (AR) is one of the world’s most sophisticated systems. It is capable of projecting very large virtual images in the driver’s eye line, using AR to enhance the real world with HUD-generated imagery.

The system uses a total of eight cameras: a rear camera, front camera, night vision camera, a down side view camera, two additional side view cameras and two cameras which track the driver’s head and eyes.

These cameras have many uses. The two cameras which constantly track the driver automatically adjust the HUD in real time so that the imagery is perfectly placed in his or her eye line. This means that movements of the driver’s head will result in updating the AR imagery so that they match and overlay real physical objects on the road.

Thoughts?

Some other similar work on the market:

HUD Systems: Augmented Reality Is Coming to Your Windshield

Continental Head-up Display Augmented Reality HUD

Jaguar concept car has transparent pillars, windshield HUD with Mario Kart-like 'ghost' mode - ExtremeTech

 

[Brick_top]

wouldn't that have to work for one person only?

 

[AnxietyRanger]

wouldn't that have to work for one person only?

I guess working for the driver would be sufficient - that's where the interior camera may into play ensuring that? Also, if it covers say half of 2/3 of the windshield, perhaps the passengers view would be (somewhat) unobstructed, while still alowing important information from driver's perspective?

 

[lunitiks]

1/3 windscreen size HUD sounds like very expensive and uncharted territory.

A quick read through your links left me with the impression that it would require extremely accurate glass shaping and special optical properties in the windshield itself. (Tolerances from hell.)

Uninformed as I may be, I doubt this will happen with the (rumored) upcoming interior refresh

 

[AnxietyRanger]

1/3 windscreen size HUD sounds like very expensive and uncharted territory.

A quick read through your links left me with the impression that it would require extremely accurate glass shaping and special optical properties in the windshield itself. (Tolerances from hell.)

Uninformed as I may be, I doubt this will happen with the (rumored) upcoming interior refresh

If you look into the full-windshield HUD stuff, it is not traditional screen/lens/mirror stuff. There are interesting projection technologies being developed.

 

[Saghost]

The idea seems to fit so naturally into Tesla's ethos that I'll be surprised if it doesn't happen eventually.

It's not easy, and it certainly won't be cheap - definitely more likely to be an S/X thing than a 3 thing for a long time, and I wouldn't bet on in showing up in the next year or two - especially the way software development seems to be falling behind at Tesla.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

The idea seems to fit so naturally into Tesla's ethos that I'll be surprised if it doesn't happen eventually.

It's not easy, and it certainly won't be cheap - definitely more likely to be an S/X thing than a 3 thing for a long time, and I wouldn't bet on in showing up in the next year or two - especially the way software development seems to be falling behind at Tesla.

That's the beauty of it. They can just launch the HUD, sell tons of cars on the demand lever and ship the software sometime in 2019+.

Maybe make a video of the HUD on Tesla.com...

 

[boaterva]

So.... if all their efforts are on FSD (like not making a 360 view parking camera since the car will be doing it, etc.), why would Tesla work on a HUD/AR for the ‘driver’?

Trying to wrap my head around the concept here...

 

[AnxietyRanger]

So.... if all their efforts are on FSD (like not making a 360 view parking camera since the car will be doing it, etc.), why would Tesla work on a HUD/AR for the ‘driver’?

Trying to wrap my head around the concept here...

Maybe because not all their efforts really are aimed at FSD that in reality is years away? A large HUD seems like an elegant way of replacing an instrument cluster while leveraging the Tesla's vision data and Tesla's software approach...

A competitive advantage, a selling point...

Wow factor.

 

[boaterva]

Maybe because not all their efforts really are aimed at FSD that in reality is years away? A large HUD seems like an elegant way of replacing an instrument cluster while leveraging the Tesla's vision data and Tesla's software approach...

A competitive advantage, a selling point...

Wow factor.

Good point... you’d think they’d also add features that drivers want in other cars like 360 view. Unless auto park is really going to work soon.

 

[BigD0g]

I think Tesla needs to stop innovating for six months or so, and actually implement the crap they already have out that is half baked. The keep introducing new hardware before old software is fully baked. They need to actually have something working, before starting something new. I know it will never happen, but man.....

 

[AnxietyRanger]

I think Tesla needs to stop innovating for six months or so, and actually implement the crap they already have out that is half baked. The keep introducing new hardware before old software is fully baked. They need to actually have something working, before starting something new. I know it will never happen, but man.....

They are in a sort of self-made viscious loop with that - since they refuse to advertise or use regular discount campaigns, they must invent other demand levers. New hardware without supporting software is one such demand lever, but it is a self-repeating one as every new lever puts them deeper in the mess, but also requires thinking of some other new lever for the next quarter, so the loop starts again...

No wonder Tesla is rumoured to want 1 Infinite Loop once Apple moves out...

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Here is the augmented reality related hire news from 2016:

A change in a LinkedIn profile, spotted by Slashgear, shows that one of the key designers from the Microsoft HoloLens has jumped ship to Tesla. Andrew Kim, the former Senior Designer for HoloLens & New Devices at Microsoft, changed his LinkedIn profile to reflect his new job as ‘Lead Designer’ at Tesla’s Design Studio.

This marks the second employee that Tesla has poached from Microsoft’s HoloLens team in recent memory. That, paired with Elon Musk’s fondness for changing the traditional car cabin, has rumor running rampant that Tesla is working on some kind of AR product for drivers.

Fresh evidence suggests Tesla is working on augmented reality for future cars

Above thread talks of Panasonic's HUD, here is Continental's demo:

See e.g. 2:48 and 3:42.

Volkswagen also on the ball:

VW will introduce heads-up display with augmented-reality in its upcoming electric vehicles

 

[BigD0g]

Here is the augmented reality related hire news from 2016:


Fresh evidence suggests Tesla is working on augmented reality for future cars

Above thread talks of Panasonic's HUD, here is Continental's demo:

See e.g. 2:48 and 3:42.

Volkswagen also on the ball:

VW will introduce heads-up display with augmented-reality in its upcoming electric vehicles

That's nearly a year ago, and nearly all the MS hires are now gone. It's like a revolving door at the Tesla AP division.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

That's nearly a year ago, and nearly all the MS hires are now gone. It's like a revolving door at the Tesla AP division.

But Andrew Kim is still there?

 

[BigD0g]

Appears so from Linkdin: Working on confidential future products and experiences.

However, maybe we need to stop working on virtual reality and start working in reality with our products.

 

[Bebop]

I for sure see this being a thing in the future. This would be awesome.

However no way it's happening by the end of the decade (within next 3 years). Tesla can't even get AP2.0 on parity with AP1.0 yet AND FSD isn't even a thing yet. What makes anyone think they are going to add in a HUD to further mess things up. At least in the near future.

I would imagine once FSD and AP are solid. Then they focus on adding a HUD. That would be super cool. Especially seeing Google Map directions in Augmented Reality. So you literally see the yellow line on the road through the windshield.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

I for sure see this being a thing in the future. This would be awesome.

However no way it's happening by the end of the decade (within next 3 years). Tesla can't even get AP2.0 on parity with AP1.0 yet AND FSD isn't even a thing yet. What makes anyone think they are going to add in a HUD to further mess things up. At least in the near future.

I would imagine once FSD and AP are solid. Then they focus on adding a HUD. That would be super cool. Especially seeing Google Map directions in Augmented Reality. So you literally see the yellow line on the road through the windshield.

What makes anyone think Tesla would ship "Level 5 capable" hardware either, yet they have... They could finish the software much later in true Tesla style...

In the meanwhile it could serve as the instrument cluster replacement.