COVER STORY | H EAD-UP DISPLAY
because it uses just one projector
and algorithms that project and
redistribute the light precisely where
and when it’s needed, wasting no light
whatsoever. While consuming half
the power, this one projector can also
generate multiple planes at different
distances, with resolution and clarity
six times that of the human retina
– day and night; sunny or overcast
– the holographic technology means
that even if modulator defects occur,
image degradation is imperceptible.
This technology far exceeds today’s
automotive requirements.
“The maths involved is insane. The
device science is even more insane,”
Dr Christmas states. “We’ve had to
develop a hybrid silicon device that
allows us to electronically control the
speed of light.
“Everyone says the speed of light
is a constant. It kind of is; it’s constant
in a vacuum. But you can make
light slow down and speed up by
changing the density of the medium
it’s travelling through,” he explains.
“This silicon device is completely
unique to us, we’ve developed all the
materials science and, believe it or
not, it contains 2 million light speed
modulators. That really is at the heart
of the technology of the company.”
Envisics also developed another
chip which is the calculation engine
that allows the team to decide what to
write on the first device. Dr Christmas
says it simulates how light propagates
through space.
“Today, that chip performs 150,000
million calculations a second. 150
gigaflops,” he says. “The scale of the
problem we’re addressing here is so
vast that it’s really quite unique. The
net result is, by doing all this maths
and making a device that messes with
the speed of light, we’re able to create
really high-quality images that are
significantly beyond the resolution
of the human eye. When we talk
about retina display on phones – an
equivalent space – our images are
much higher resolution than those
retina display images, and we can
project them in multiple dimensions
simultaneously.
“The net result is that we can create
a much more compact head-up display
that is much more efficient, much
sharper, much brighter than any other
competing technology.”
ENGINEERING CHALLENGES
Even with the maths and the device in
place, there’s a significant engineering
task to then convert these into a
product that is applicable to automotive
use. An electronic product that goes in
the cabin of a car must be guaranteed
to work from -40°C to 85°C. Thankfully
for Envisics, the automotive industry
has gathered mountains of data over
the years that pinpoint each criteria
that need to be met to meet and
exceed these constraints.
“Taking something which is
fundamentally new and revolutionary
and making it work over these huge
extremes of temperature ranges is a
FIVE WAYS
HOLOGRAPHY
BEATS LEDS
SAFER – NO DISTRACTIONS
Envisics’ Dynamic Holography Platform
delivers augmented reality (AR) imagery
on different planes and at different
distances, simultaneously. It adapts
instantly to ambient light changes,
projects virtual colour imagery and
accurately reads the road ahead.
Distortion is undetectable and there is no
distraction.
SMALLER – MORE FLEXIBLE
It is small, flexible and easily adaptable
across manufacturer models. Car
crossbeams, heating, ventilation and air
conditioning fight for space, so size and
weight are key. Ultra-high magnification
enables a wide field of view from a
compact package, making it suitable for
vehicles of all sizes from all corners of the
world.
SHARPER – RICHER IMAGERY
By harnessing and controlling lasers,
Envisics’ technology generates imagery
with unmatched levels of clarity,
depth and stability, with no graining or
detectable distortion.
EFFICIENT – LESS POWER
CONSUMPTION
No backlight means greater optical
efficiency. Envisics’ heatsink-free design
helps realise smaller packaging. The HUD
has greater brightness and consumes
50% less power; in the age of electric
vehicles, every milliamp counts.
ADAPTABLE – GREATER
PERSONALISATION
Automakers can create different cockpit
environments, matching AR experiences
to a specific model and to individual driver
and passenger preferences. More than
ever, this is how automakers will seek to
create distinction from one another.
Virtual image (20m-100m) Virtual image (10m) Near field image (2m)
14 WWW.EUREKAMAGAZINE.CO.UK | SEPTEMBER 2019
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