Continental, HERE and Leia Inc are collaborating to bring 3D navigation into display solutions for vehicle cockpits. This innovation marks an important building block towards a safer user experience. HERE’s 3D depiction of buildings and topography is displayed in Continental’s Natural 3D Display with Leia’s Lightfield technology. The Lightfield technology makes the 3D effect visible from various angles, allowing both the driver and passengers to view.
‘3D display technology not only brings an impressive new factor into the cockpit but it can also create a more intuitive interaction between driver and vehicle, contributing to enhanced driving safety,’ said Jens Brandt, the Vice President of Human Machine Interface at Continental North America. ‘It is exciting to contribute to a better user experience and a safer driving environment by bringing together HERE premium map content and Leia’s Lightfield software with our expertise in automotive human-machine interface solutions.’
The content enabling this solution comes from HERE Premier 3D Cities, consisting of HERE premium map content and highly detailed 3D representations of 75 global city centres that are fully interactive and customizable. Each building is indexed and accurate in terms of physical location, volume, elevation and facade colour. 3D terrain models also provide elevations for representative depictions of a city’s layout. Detailed 3D landmarks are included within the coverage of each city and are integrated into the 3D terrain, as well as the various styles of the surrounding buildings.
‘In complex driving scenarios, such as city traffic, following the directions from the navigation system while safely manoeuvring can be a real challenge for many drivers,’ added Jens Brandt. ‘An accurate spatial reproduction of the real-world offered by the 3D solution from Continental, HERE and Leia Inc can help drivers grasp the necessary information quicker, better orientate themselves and stay more attentive to the driving task.’
Based on Continental’s Natural 3D Display, Leia’s Lightfield technology and HERE’s 3D map content, the companies have created a joint demonstrator and plan to work with vehicle manufacturers to bring this solution into the next generation of vehicles.
