Siemens VDO Presents the Next Generation of Head-Up Displays

Siemens VDO Presents the Next Generation of Head-Up Displays

From Sedans to Compact Cars – One HUD fits all

Babenhausen, May 09, 2006 -- With the improved head-up display (HUD), Siemens VDO is demonstrating how the safety, comfort and convenience of future virtual displays in the driver's direct field of vision can be realized – not only in luxury cars – but in smaller models, as well. A modular concept, new optical variants and a reduction of the installation space enable adaptability to every vehicle class. An additional new future feature is the height adjustable head-up display to set the position of the virtual driving information in line with the driver's height.


Siemens VDO head-up display provides important driving-related information, such as speed, navigation data and warnings directly in the driver's field of vision. This allows the driver to concentrate more completely on traffic without having to look away, all the while still constantly staying aware of the vehicle's speed. This in turn leads to increased safety, as it takes an average of one second to read the information on the navigation system, which at 50 km/h means the vehicle already has traveled approximately 14 meters.

With the improved Siemens VDO head-up display, system safety, comfort and convenience will no longer be only reserved for luxury class vehicles, but also will be available for smaller models. The greatest challenge in accomplishing this was to decrease the installation space requirements and system costs of the head-up display by roughly half. Even with the restricted space in the cockpit, there has to be at least a minimum amount of room for the optical system in order to project a virtual image. A display generates an image that is guided to the windshield using several mirrors. Like glancing in a rearview or side mirror, the driver sees the virtual image, but not as a flat, static picture on the windshield. Rather, the driver perceives it as "floating" over the hood at a distance of about two meters.

New in the second generation head-up display is that drivers can now adjust the position of the virtual display to their seat position. This enables the driver to adapt the display to his or her own height for a more comfortable viewing angle. This additional comfort is made possible by using a new mounting for the mirror installed in the head-up display, which allows the mirror to be tilted and the projected height of the virtual image to be adjusted.

To meet the demands placed on installation space and optical performance, Siemens VDO offers automobile manufacturers a modular system solution for all vehicle classes. By employing various optical versions, the head-up display can be developed in line with the automobile manufacturer's specific requirements. For example, the number of mirrors, display color and illumination elements are freely selectable. Installation space requirements and system costs can therefore be adapted to the respective vehicle model.

In smaller vehicle models, for example, a variant with only two mirrors and one lens is feasible. The optical components project the driving information from a thin-film transistor (TFT) display to the windshield, which is then magnified. In particular, a lens – a new optical component – ensures the virtual image attains the necessary size, definition, sharpness and optical fidelity with a smaller number of magnifying mirrors, thus reducing the system volume.

Despite the new head-up display's reduced volume, the driver sees a high-quality image in a horizontal format about 9 by 20 centimeters in size. Due to the size, improved display resolution, sharper color contrast and more variability in the color schemes, the image is even more readable. Additional information from the Siemens VDO pro.pilot driver assistance system, also can be displayed. The best example of this is the Night Vision system, in which the video image, including any images indicating pedestrians, can be seen in the head-up display directly in the driver's field of vision.

With the market launch of the color head-up display in 2003, Siemens VDO has proven its series expertise and with the modular system, can supply the second generation to all vehicles classes in the future. Accordingly, the automotive component supplier is meeting manufacturers' demands for custom-made products with simultaneous cost reductions. The modular concept enables a virtual head-up display image of the highest optical quality in a multitude of vehicle variants.

Siemens VDO Automotive is a leading international automotive electronics and mechatronic supplier. The group is part of Siemens AG and generated sales of EUR 9.6 billion in the 2005 business year (30.9.).

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