New Car Heads-Up Display To Be Controlled By Hand Gestures, Voice Commands

Lucas123 (935744) writes "A new company has just opened a crowdsourcing campaign for a heads-up display that plugs into your car's OBD II port and works with iPhones and Android OS-enabled mobile devices via Bluetooth to project a 5.1-in transparent screen that appears to float six feet in front of the windshield. The HUD, called Navdy, works with navigation apps such as Google Maps for turn-by-turn directions, and music apps such as Spotify, Pandora, iTunes Music and Google Play Music. Using voice commands via Apple's Siri or Google Voice, the HUD can also write, read aloud or display notifications from text messages or social media apps, such as Twitter. Phone calls, texting or other applications can also be controlled with hand gestures enabled by an infrared camera."

Comments

Any bets on how long before the plug is pulled?

[mark-t]

If a display is not integrated into the car itself, and in particular where the *sole* purpose of a display should be to assist in driving the car safely, then it's going to be considered a distraction from driving, and therefore not going to be legal to use while driving.

Re:What a great idea

[PrescriptionWarning]

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Hand Gestures?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is this really the best way to control something in a car? Do we really want drivers taking their hands off the steering wheels to make silly motions in space while they're driving?

I mean, maybe it'll work. Maybe it does make sense. But my initial reaction is skeptical.

Ummm ...what?

[gstoddart]

other applications can also be controlled with hand gestures enabled by an infrared camera

So, instead of people taking their hands of the steering wheel to hold onto their phone, they're going to take them off the steering wheel to control their stuff with gestures???

Seriously people, are you actually designing something for people who are driving cars?

Here's a suggestion, save your damned text messages and social media updates for when you're not bloody well driving.

Encouraging bad behavior.

[plebeian]

My brother was just rear ended by someone who was talking on the phone. People do not need more distractions while driving. A HUD should be limited to presenting information that helps people drive. Talking on the phone even hands free is still a distraction, visual navigation systems are also an unnecessary distraction. Honestly people put the phone down and pay attention to the road, your life and the lives of others depends on it.