Holy Yoda! Holograms in My Car
Holograms to Move Onto Your Dashboard
I am a total geek. I really love learning about all stuff nerdy and am usually an early adopter of new technological toys, and I’m really interested in the holographic dashboard being developed by Daihatsu and Provision Interactive Technologies, which was displayed in a Daihatsu concept car last month at the Tokyo auto show..
According to the companies, the conventional dashboard gauges still will be two-dimensional, but vehicle information and warnings will be three-dimensional holographic images. The companies say that the images will be “easy-to-read,” but that remains to be seen. Unfortunately, holographic technology is something really hard to show on a two dimensional computer screen, so I am left to describe what this might look like: Remember in Star Wars, when R2-D2 delivers a holographic message to Ben Kenobi? That was the 1977 version of a hologram (although it was all movie magic, of course). In 2008 the hologram seems a lot more sophisticated, and so by 2012, when Daihatsu plans to incorporate this technology, it should be very realistic.
While the technology sounds very interesting, I am more than a little concerned about the distraction factor with Princess Leia potentially appearing in front of my face while I’m driving. We’ll be interested to see how it turns out in practice.
Comments
I saw the holographic dashboard at the Tokyo Auto Show, and it’s really cool, the holograms really do float and move in the air.
One point of clarification for you, when the holograms appear, they float in front of the 2D dashboard behind the steering wheel, nowhere near the windshield and definitely not high enough to be in front of the drivers face.
Autoblog posted some images of people at the show crowded around the dashboard here: http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/27/daihatsu-teams-up-with-provision-to-create-3d-holographic-dash/
Posted by: Kessel Runner | Apr 22, 2008 10:53:05 AM
Whew, thanks for the clarification Kessel - I still think it would be funny to see Leia chanting "Obi-Wan you're my only hope"- over by my passenger.
Posted by: Emily | Apr 22, 2008 1:33:43 PM
Kessel Runner!!!??? That's the coolest name ever. Is it real?
Posted by: Chief Mama | Apr 24, 2008 7:22:30 PM
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