Marelli tech offers 3D without the glasses

The glasses-free 3D display technology from global auto supplier Marelli could potentially be one of the most innovative advancements in automotive interior features to debut over the past decade.

It's a culmination of more than two years of development and significantly enhances the perception, quality and overall usability of automotive digital displays by providing the driver with a greater degree of perceived depth.

For example, with 3D, parking cameras are capable of depicting images in a more immersive context than the typical digital displays, providing the driver with a more accurate sense of the space. During navigation, the depth perception of the 3D digital display provides the driver with a clearer vision of when and where to turn by virtually immersing the driver in the surrounding environment.

One of the key elements of Marelli's system is its auto-stereoscopic 3D screen technology, developed specifically for the automotive sector, in partnership with Alioscopy, a Paris-based company whose proprietary 3D display technology is used in a variety of applications.

Unlike a more traditional 3D application, consisting of two separate images that appear to be a single 3D image when viewed through special glasses, the auto-stereoscopic display enables a viewer to perceive that third dimension with the naked eye.

The auto-stereoscopic 3D screen used by Marelli incorporates a lenticular lens laminated on a standard display, resulting in an application that is thinner and up to 50 percent less expensive than competing systems, which typically use multiple displays to achieve true 3D depth perception.

A lenticular lens, as described by Marelli, is an array of magnifying lenses, designed to enlarge different images when viewed from slightly different angles.

The Marelli technology could prove to be an even bigger asset to the industry down the road, as the adoption of autonomous vehicles grows and paves the way for the application of more immersive infotainment experiences for passengers.