Continental: The traffic light turns red and floats before the driver's eyes. Rows of buildings pop up through the navigation system. The car brand logo rotates in the air, in front of the dashboard!
With these and other similar 3D effects, Continental is revolutionizing the various conventional displays found inside car cabins, developing an innovative cockpit solution, called the “Natural 3D Lightfield Instrument Cluster”, in collaboration with the company, Leia Inc, from Silicon Valley.
This technology will bring the “Third Dimension” to the cars of the near future, with unparalleled quality. “Lightfield” displays are the next generation medium that will allow not only the perception of three-dimensional “depth” but also the rendering of flashes, color accents and other complex light effects. It will also allow the safe presentation of information to the driver in real time, making the interaction of the person with the vehicle more comfortable and more instinctive. And what’s more, this experience is not only addressed to the driver but also to the front passenger and the passengers in the back seats!
A new dimension in comfort and safety
One of the biggest challenges in the modern automotive industry is the development of smart ideas for “live” human-machine communication, in order to improve the driver’s experience and allow him to interact with the vehicle simply and effectively, without distracting his attention from the road. The new “Lightfield” display brings 3D into the car, in the best possible quality, but at the same time creates a new dimension of comfort and safety. In addition, it provides the opportunity for each car manufacturer to adapt the new technology to the preferences of its customers, with personalized design solutions.
Silicon Valley's use of nanotechnology
The resolution quality as well as the look and feel of the “Natural 3D Lightfield Instrument Cluster” is clearly better than that of conventional 3D-displays. This is achieved thanks to the new technology, “Diffractive Lightfield Backlighting”, where light guides with a diffraction grating and nanostructures allow the precise propagation of light waves, below the display panel, offering a completely natural 3D visual effect. This lightfield unit can be easily integrated into already commercially available displays.
The system is expected to enter mass production by 2022 at the latest.
3D effect without glass surfaces: The Lightfield screen allows the perception of three-dimensional “depth” as well as the rendering of flashes, color accents and other light effects. The 3D effect is achieved by a special method of light diffraction, through a simple screen.
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