Impact of Road Safety Initiatives on Heads-Up Display Adoption in Automotive Industry

With distracted driving accounting for 25% of all road accidents and young drivers accounting for the most significant demographic using technology while driving, it is imperative to look for solutions to this problem. It is believed that Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) could be a viable option to prevent driver distractions from other onboard technologies such as the dashboard and centre information displays (CID).

Drivers need to deviate from the road to look at the onboard diagnostics in the dashboard or the GPS, radio, and telephone in the CID. Using HUDs means this information is projected directly to the driver’s line of sight.

The new IDTechEx report, “Automotive Heads-up Displays 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Opportunities”, provides comprehensive coverage into this space, from the most renowned 2-dimensional technologies to the more futuristic 3-dimensional imaging techniques that are set to revolutionize the automotive sector.

This report also covers key trends, market analysis, opportunities, and granular 10-year forecasts for display volume (number of displays) and value (US$), segmenting the industry by display type and technology.

HUDs are met with a lot of enthusiasm. They are actively used in the aviation industry, and their potential to further assist the driver in the most adverse and complicated atmospheric conditions is why many stakeholders are advocating for its rapid adoption in the automotive space. There are three types of heads-up displays: dedicated combiner, windshield, and augmented reality (AR) HUDs.

The combiner HUD involves projecting an image between the driver and the windshield to a screen. The virtual image is still directed at the driver’s line of sight but is often retractable and does not interfere with the windshield’s visibility.

The windscreen and AR-HUD have virtual images projected at the windshield and require special coatings to prevent image doubling or ghosting effects. These two types of HUDs are expected to be more immersive, highlighting critical obstacles on the road and onboard diagnostics (OBD).

This technology can, therefore, be useful in adverse weather conditions where the road’s visibility is reduced. The HUD can be used to signal essential obstacles and areas of concern.

However, there is a concern about moderation in the number of images and how immersive this technology must be. While it can be essential to highlight road obstacles, too many annotations may be detrimental to a driver’s focus on the road.

Too many virtual images can significantly hinder the visibility of the road and can, in turn, impact safety. Finding the balance is essential and appears to be the focus of companies in this sector.

HUDs are expected to grow over the coming decade, and bright, highly responsive, resilient, durable, immersive technologies with a small form factor and cost-effectiveness are best positioned to succeed in this space. TFT-LCDs are the most popular option.

However, the growth of computer-generated holography and micro-LEDs could challenge their mid- to long-term dominance. With a CAGR of 24%, this market is expected to surpass US$10 billion by 2034.

IDTechEx’s “Automotive Heads-up Displays 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Opportunities” report analyses the leading technologies and HUD types being developed and expected to grow over the next decade.

The challenge in developing automotive HUDs is more than ensuring the technology works accordingly; it must comply with the regulations the sector demands. For instance, operating temperature requirements are more comprehensive than those in other sectors. Technologies in this space must endure harsher ambient conditions.

This report covers critical innovations in manufacturing as well as coating requirements to enhance the performance of HUDs.