Volvo is funding a tech startup that wants to create a whole windscreen heads up display.
The optical and imaging technology firm Spectralics is developing a multi-layer thin combiner (MLTC) to create an immersive display.
The MLTC is a film that can be applied to transparent surfaces like windows or windshields.
The MLTC film allows projection of images on surfaces, which could create a large heads up display when driving.
The idea is to create a more immersive version of augmented-reality heads-up displays we have seen on the market, mainly from Mercedes.
However, the possibilities are endless. The vehicle could add in-cabin sensing, projecting images from forward-facing cameras to reduce blind spots and even project holographic images.
The investment in Spectralics comes from the Volvo Cars Tech Fund. The fund is the venture capital arm of the Swedish automaker.
Volvo did not provide details on if or how the company will commercialize the technology. Nor did they confirm if they have concrete plans to use the technology in their production cars moving forward.
However, this is not the first investment in the tech space for Volvo. The company previously invested in Luminar, a Silicon Valley-based lidar company.
The Luminar lidar sensors will be part of the Volvo line on the SPA2 architecture starting in 2022.
Source: Motor Authority
