CES 2014: Garmin Shows Off A HUD (Heads Up Display) Nav Concept Meant To Keep Eyes On The Road

A few years ago I bought a GPS navigation unit on black Friday.  To this day I still use it, although admittedly the experience isn’t as great as it used to be.  First of all the suction cup mount pretty much disintegrated so I have to place it in a little make-shift cradle on my dashboard.  This means sometimes when I look at it I have to glance down which has lent itself to a few “sketchy” moments while on the road!  Heck, even with the suction cup working and mounted on the windshield sometimes the GPS needed to be adjusted and while nothing horrible happened, its still a distraction from driving.

Garmin is looking to eliminate those situations with their new Heads Up Display (HUD) concept that they are currently showing off at CES 2014 out in Las Vegas.  The Garmin HUD unit will project navigation information as well as other information that can be pulled from a smart phone, on the windshield just below the driver’s line of sight.  The driver can also easily cycle through the information via steering wheel mounted controls which also incorporate a proximity sensor which will “intuitively” change the menu options to match what the driver is doing.  It will also allow for changing of radio stations and other controls all without taking hands off the wheel.

This is definitely a cool concept but for now its just that; a concept.  Hopefully Garmin’s HUD will see production soon but when it does drop, expect it to have a fat price tag.  For a better look at the HUD interface, click the thumbnail below.  You can also read the official press release below as well.

Press Release:

OLATHE, Kan./January 7, 2014/Business Wire — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced that it will showcase a range of new infotainment technologies for automakers at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014. Designed to minimize distractions behind the wheel, Garmin will present an interactive head-up display (HUD) interface as well as new developments of its K2 infotainment platform to selected industry members and the press in a private meeting room.

“Garmin’s auto OEM group utilizes the company’s extensive experience in user interface and hardware design to address one of the biggest challenges of the auto industry today: developing in-car infotainment that allows drivers to stay connected behind the wheel without diverting their attention from the road,” said Matt Munn, Garmin managing director automotive OEM. “Garmin’s K2 infotainment platform and interactive HUD interface have been developed utilizing an in-house driving simulator that uses cameras to track the driver’s eye movements. The interface design is based on the time and cognitive load required to perform a task with the goal of minimizing driver distraction.”

The interactive HUD concept provides a glimpse at how an automotive HUD interface designed by Garmin can help keep the driver’s hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Balancing functionality with simplicity, the interface includes a passive state and an interactive mode. The passive state presents customizable audio, navigation or communication content just below the driver’s line of sight. A simple and clean interface provides important information quickly and at a glance. The navigation view, for example, can show information such as junction views, lane guidance, speed limit and safety warnings.

The innovative proximity sensor on the steering wheel activates an interactive mode on the HUD that allows users to switch between the different pages. Two steering wheel buttons let users select in-menu options, such as start a route, view traffic information, change a radio station or initiate a phone call. Users can save presets in each menu for quick access while on the road and eyes facing straight ahead. The audio menu, for example, could contain saved radio stations, playlists and songs.

In addition to the new interactive HUD interface, Garmin will showcase new developments of its K2 infotainment platform. This includes production-ready hardware design, new features, and the evolution of K2’s intuitive user interface (UI), utilizing the company’s long-standing experience from its avionics, marine and consumer segments. Garmin’s K2 infotainment turns the car dashboard into a digital cockpit that provides drivers a safe and intuitive way to stay connected and access all the functions they need while on the road. Garmin is committed to safely integrating the content and connectivity that drivers want and far too often are accessing via their smartphone. The new K2 demo at this year’s CES will include the integration of third-party entertainment and navigation-related content.

Garmin will offer individual in-vehicle demonstrations to selected industry members and the press in a private meeting room at the 2014 CES in Las Vegas. In addition to K2 and the HUD concept, Garmin will show other automotive OEM developments, including insights into its driver distraction research and a fully integrated Android infotainment head unit.

Garmin’s broad range of in-vehicle electronics for the automotive industry includes full infotainment and telematics systems, navigation software, location-based services, and integrated portable navigation systems. Garmin has dedicated automotive OEM offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.

About Garmin International Inc. Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. A component of the S&P 500 index, Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin is a registered trademark of Garmin Ltd.

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