South Korea’s Hyundai Mobis Co., the world’s No. 6 auto parts supplier, has teamed up with German optics giant Zeiss to mass-produce next-generation automotive display holographic head-up displays (HUDs).
The auto parts maker of Hyundai Motor Group announced on Sunday it has signed a business cooperation agreement with Zeiss to develop automotive HUDs that will display content across the windshield using holographic technology and will start commercializing them in 2027.
The holographic HUD, potentially the first of its kind in the world, is touted as next-generation automotive display technology as it can display more than navigation and speed information on the windshield.
The cutting-edge HUD technology is expected to significantly reduce road fatalities caused by driver distraction and allow more freedom in car interior design.
According to global tech market research firm Omdia, the global holographic HUD market is forecast to grow to some 7 million units in 2030 and become a mainstream HUD technology.
In 2019, Zeiss developed the world's first multifunctional smart glass technology, which can float holographic and augmented-reality content on a transparent surface like HUDs in cars. Zeiss became the world's first to develop holographic multifunctional smart glass in 2019 (Courtesy of Zeiss) The technology is already used in aircraft cockpits, and the German company has been pushing for its mass production since last year.
Hyundai Mobis is the world’s sixth-largest auto parts supplier, according to Automotive News’ global top 100 auto parts maker list.
Under the agreement terms, the Korean company will develop an automotive projector while overseeing the overall development of the holographic HUD system.
A light projector displays on the desired surface like a windshield, while an automotive projector requires special technologies to miniaturize the system with minimized noise and heat generation.
Hyundai Mobis has agreed to cooperate with Zeiss to develop holographic automotive HUDs (Courtesy of Hyundai Mobis) The holographic HUD system also needs a special holographic film to create vivid content on the transparent surface. Holographic films, often laminated between two sheets of glass or plastic, serve as the medium through which holographic images are displayed.
Zeiss will apply its renowned micro-optics technology to develop the holographic film for the holographic HUD system.
The two companies are said to have already developed a prototype of their holographic HUD system and demonstrated it to a group of Korean carmakers.
They also plan to expand their collaboration to develop other automotive optics technologies such as automotive interior and exterior holographic displays and 3D rear lamps, said Jung Soo-kyung, vice president of Hyundai Mobis.
The Korean auto parts heavyweight has been striving to develop innovative automotive display technologies.
