The Novelty of Driver Glass Innovation provides MR vehicle navigation system that provides drivers optical combination of physical (real) and virtual elements around them using an all-around 3D/360° visualization, through head worn smart glasses or with windscreen projections. By optimal road assistance provided, drivers reach their destination safely while constantly receiving precise MR overlay on top of reality and real-time data about their environment, their distance from any proximate object (vehicles, obstacles, pedestrians), directional indications, even in low visibility conditions (rain, fog). Current commercial Solutions rely majorly on traditional LCD display-based navigation technology (e.g. GPS navigator), and HUD on the bottom part of the windscreen. HUDs only work when looking forward and do not overlay the information displayed on the real artifacts they depict. Driver Glass works in an all-around 360° manner and also displays information through blind spots. Currently, there are no existing vehicle MR navigation technologies, albeit there are some concepts created by various car manufacturers with no technological solution that realize these concepts. In parallel, there are R&D projects undergone by OEMs, between automotive suppliers and car manufacturers. Automotive suppliers Harman, Continental AG and Visteon all unveiled AR systems that project information into the driver’s field of view. Harman uses digital overlays to convey speed and braking information of other vehicles on the road and insert prominent street-sign graphics into the field of view to help with navigation. Meanwhile, Continental AG, working with projection technology specialist DigiLens, showed its system for projecting AR data onto the windshield itself, obviating the need for headgear. Visteon’s system demonstrated a sensor-driving HUD that projects warnings of possible vehicular and pedestrian obstacles onto the windshield. Harman, Continental and DigiLens use AR as marketing statement, in fact none of their solutions are AR. The visuals do not match/overlay reality behind them. They still need to transpose the images HUD on bottom of the windscreen to the road ahead, however they still have not reach this technical stage. As for car manufacturers, Jaguar created an AR/MR concept without any technology behind the concept. BMW have reached internal results, but still unable to apply it in a moving car. It consists of a system that uses ODG glasses to pop-up navigation directions, text messages, and X-ray vision right into the driver’s eyeballs. The latter feature works by projecting camera feeds from outside the car into the glasses. In 2017, BMW showed off its “Vision Next 100” concept car, including an AR-enhanced windshield that flags obstacles and provides data streams that completely replace the dashboard instrumentation. The company has not disclosed any specific rollout plans, but is confident in this system potential positioned to advance human-operated transportation. VW is starting with a VR project dedicated for trucks assistance, but their concept will only work in a stationary (non-moving) vehicle.
