Raythink, a Chinese producer of augmented reality head-up displays, debuted its new smart vehicle AR-HUD solution at the 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition.
The new product uses the OpticalCore picture generation unit and wave-layer three-dimension technology and can project a fully naked-eye 3D image with depth, delivering futuristic and better 3D effects to enhance the driving experience, the Shenzhen-based firm said.
HUD is a technology that projects important driving information such as speed, navigation, and advanced driving assistance features onto the windshield in real-time, allowing drivers to see the info without looking down or turning their heads. To truly integrate AR HUD with reality, it is necessary to provide a larger field of view and a longer virtual image distance through the core light source module.
OpticalCore also made its debut at the Shanghai Auto Show. Compared with traditional thin-film transistor and digital light processing solutions, OpticalCore uses laser beam scanning as a light source. It can achieve a wider field of view covering three lanes and a higher image contrast without light window effects or solar loading, with much lower costs and power consumption, Raythink noted.
Another advantage of OpticalCore is that there are more chip suppliers producing this type of PGU, so it is less likely that Raythink will face chip shortages, the company pointed out.
This new solution, which will be applied to AR-HUD, AR headlights, in-car micro projection, fixed focus AR vehicle displays, and the industrial environment, is expected to reach mass production around the second quarter of 2024, Raythink said.
This year, the firm plans to expand its production line to meet the increasing demand for AR-HUD standard equipment while developing the next generation of immersive AR-HUDs for digital large-screen immersive displays for smart cars.
Raythink passed the ISO9001, IATF16949, and other quality system certifications in April last year. It received 10 orders for mass production projects, and its AR-HUD products will be equipped in over 400,000 cars, the firm added.
Raythink also announced a strategic partnership with Chinese conversational artificial intelligence platform AI Speech during the Shanghai Auto Show. It has cooperated with many other tier-one suppliers such as UK mobility service provider Aptiv, smart system manufacturer AliOS, and US smart cockpit maker Visteon.