Envisics enhances head-up displays with AR

Head-up displays are not new. But in recent years, they have been enhanced with augmented reality technology that overlays, say, dynamic turn arrows to direct a driver using a vehicle's navigation system.

The goal of Envisics, of Milton Keynes, England, is to further improve AR head-up display features via its Dynamic Holography Platform. The company uses proprietary algorithms and more robust graphics to create sharper images and display information at multiple distances.

Founder Jamieson Christmas, 48, who is both CEO and chief technology officer, spoke with Staff Reporter Doug Newcomb on what makes the company's technology different, when it will appear in more vehicles and how it's well suited to electric vehicles. Here are edited excerpts.

Q: We're starting to see AR head-up displays in production cars. What makes Envisics' technology different?

A: It is great to see that the deployment of AR-HUD continues to accelerate. To date, most companies developing holographic technology for the automotive market have focused on the application of holographic optical elements in the form of a film that is laminated into the windshield. At Envisics, we are a taking a different approach. Whereas [holographic optical element] systems use off-the-shelf projector components, we make our images through the manipulation of the speed of light. Our holograms are calculated in real time by the advanced computational power from our proprietary chip designs. Our approach enables OEMs to unlock both 3D imagery and true augmented reality.

When will Envisics' technology be in production vehicles?

Our first-generation technology has already been delivered to multiple vehicle lines for Jaguar Land Rover. The second-generation technology will debut in 2023 on a vehicle line for a major OEM, and then other products across multiple OEMs.

Is Envisics' technology similar to other advanced features that will appear in high-end cars first and then trickle down to less expensive models?

Yes, our research and development investments are focused on working with the leading OEMs on how to deliver space- and power-efficient and less costly versions of our technologies to enable mass-market applications.

Can you talk about Envisics' patented algorithms and high-magnification designs and the benefits?

We have over 700 patents pending or granted in the areas of digital holography, algorithms and related technologies.

Our research and development is focused on both the application of our patented inventions and continuing to advance the science and mathematics that will enable true digital holography.

For our next product release, you will see the deployment of a highly advanced holographic engine that, when combined with our proprietary chipsets, will power dual plane displays with augmented reality.

How difficult is it to make the technology automotive grade and meet or exceed the packaging and weight requirements— And how do EVs figure into that?

The challenges of delivering true digital holography suitable for automotive application has always been the sole focus for Envisics.

Those challenges are not only to deliver class- leading image quality for our customers but to also address increasingly stringent packaging, energy use and environmental requirements.

In the case of electric vehicles, energy consumption is naturally a major focus for OEMs, and we are working on breakthroughs that will make AR-HUD increasingly attractive as a way to deliver information efficiently and effectively to the driver.

In essence, the breakthroughs needed for the widespread application of AR-HUD technologies are going to be around packaging size, power consumption and how information is projected.

How can automakers personalize their augmented reality head-up displays using Envisics' Dynamic Holography Platform?

The inputs are determined by the sensor suite and [advanced driver-assistance system] technologies fitted to the vehicle, and our role is to deliver outputs that can be tailored to suit how, when and where in 3D space a brand wants to display information to the driver.

Our aim is to deliver systems that enable the OEMs to seamlessly integrate AR-HUD into the total user experience and extend their brand identity beyond the confines of the vehicle.