Navion, a holographic navigation system developed by the Swiss technology company WayRay will be demoed at CES 2018. An augmented reality (AR) based system the WayRay Navion isn’t ground breaking and is a standard offering of AR implementation in cars. In contrast to the current AR units available, Navion offers more versatility, graphics and multitasking.
This navigation system is capable of showing lane markings, road sign prompts, arrow graphics indicating turns, speed and other road information in the form of a holographic projection on the car’s windshield. According to the company this will significantly reduce the distraction experienced by the driver when they engage in other functionalities like navigation. Nearby points of interest will be displayed by the system, thus embracing the multitasking feature.
The user experience will be akin to what one experiences when playing videogames according to the company. This multipurpose Holographic AR technology can also display more information on the car through itself. This system was first demoed in the Rinspeed Oasis concept. It made extensive use of AR holograms for its functioning. WayRay already gained the attention of big investors that includes Alibaba, who also spearheaded the $18 million Series B funding round in March 2017. Alongside announcing its successful funding round WayRay also stated that their holographic navigation technology would be integrated in the Chinese automaker Banma Technologies’ 2018 production models. According to Alex Shi, CEO of Banma Technologies, HUDs with Augmented Realiy (AR) are the future of navigation systems in cars. AR navigation drastically improves driver and passenger safety as the traffic data and warnings are displayed right on the windshield. With the surge in the no. of self driving cars and more sophisticated car control mechanism, AR will play a crucial role in improving communication and entertainment in the car. WayRay is backed by Alibaba who also believes WayRay’s Navion is tech of future.
Although Vitaly Ponomarev, CEO of WayRay had previously stated that the company was targeting a 2017 commercial release of Navion, it will now make a debut in the markets in 2018. The tech will be at the show for CES 2018, accompanying other tech heavy automotive prototypes and concepts.