How Do Head-Up Displays Work?
Head-up displays are a safer way to access driving information while keeping your gaze on the road  Photo: Jay Galvin via CC  If youve ever wondered how head-up displays work, youre in the right place. Get the scoop on this fascinating technology  and learn a bit about reality-enabled HUDs that will soon debut on upcoming car models. Safe and Sophisticated: Meet the Cadillac XT6  How a head-up display works  Stay focused on whats ahead with an innovative Head-Up Display in the All-New #BuickEnvision Avenir. pic.twitter.com/e5j7rBX3Qu  Buick (@Buick) June 24, 2021  Per Motor Trends Stefan Ogbac, there are two types of head-up displays. One projects driving data onto the cars windshield, while the other projects the display onto a small screen called a combiner that pops out above the instrument cluster. Windshield-projection HUDs rely on a projector thats built into the dashboard, as Road and Tracks Blake Rong explains. The projector transfers the image to the windshield via a system of mirrors. These mirrors enlarge and flip the image so the driving info displays right-side-up when you view it on the windshield. HUDs typically have a toggle switch somewhere on the dash that lets you adjust where the image projects. That way, you can position the display in the least distracting place on the windshield. Systems that project the image onto a plastic screen instead of the windshield work similarly. This type of HUD is more cost-effective for automakers to add to car models because it uses fewer mirrors. Another advantage of this design is that its more compatible with a variety of windshield designs. This means that it delivers a more consistent projection quality no matter how curved the windshield is. Beyond HUD tech  No matter which design you go with, an HUD is a smart add-on feature to choose when shopping for a new vehicle. But HUDs arent the only type of technology that automakers are exploring as they seek to fine-tune their lineups driver-assist tools. Augmented reality HUDs appear to be the next big thing. Many manufacturers are offering this technology on upcoming products, from the Cadillac Lyriq to the Hyundai Ioniq 5. This new breed of HUD is a bit different than a conventional HUD, mainly in that it visualizes driver-assist data and other necessary driving info from the drivers perspective. Not only can it display speed, navigation, and warning signal data. But it can also communicate additional information in a more nuanced way, by overlaying digital objects onto physical ones. For instance, AR-enabled HUDs can virtually project navigational directions onto the road ahead, as TechHQs Haris Elias shares. Check out the shiny new 2021 Buick Envision. Then get the scoop on the new Kia EV6, which offers an AR-enabled HUD system, among other cool features. Envision a Safer Future: Find the right Buick Envision for you