There are several smartphone apps that can turn your handheld phone into a head up display by inverting the displayed image, so that after reflecting off the windshield, the driver will see the displayed data in the same way he would on the HUD.
These solutions have a distinct disadvantage based on the fact that car windshields contain an inner layer creating a double image that destroys the functionality of the HUD. I have tried such solutions myself and found that they were more distracting than helping to provide information.
Now Hudway LLC. has started a Kickstarter campaign, for their new HUD Glass device. This solution is comprised of an app and a special mount that includes a reflector to avoid any double images. According to the provided images, this eliminates the double image issue as the reflector contains a thin film coating for exactly this reason.
Source: Hudway
The device comes with two different mounts to fit better in the various car models. The mount is attached to the dashboard via a removable adhesive and holds the phone sitting in a cradle via magnets to avoid any movement during driving operation. It also comes with a Hudway app, but the hardware will work with most phones and any app that has a HUD mode. Hudway lists nine already existing apps as being usable on its device in addition to its own app.
They are quoting studies from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, UK Department for Transport, and the Uppsala University in Sweden as the basis for their assessment that HUDs will increase traffic safety. This is the first time I have seen anyone on crowd funding sites addressing this issue with more than “if it is good for pilots, it must be good for cars”. Of course there is also a caveat in their statements, as they say that it is of course possible to watch for example a movie or other content on the smartphone while driving. Certainly not a good idea. As they state “When you get HUDWay Glass, you agree to use it at your sole risk. Drive safe!”, a good idea, I just don’t think that this is enough to make such a device safe in the eyes of the authorities.
Source: Hudway
The Kickstarter campaign is utterly successful, as it has reached so far over $300,000 of a modest $100,000 goal. The campaign is running until November 7, so there is still time to secure your device early. Of course all the special priced offers are already gone, but with a target price around $50, this may not be such a big deal. According to their current time table, you may be able to get your device in March 2016. (NH)
