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Head up displays in cars.
To a lot of people even watching right now, they're still right up there with flying cars in terms of reality and likelihood.
But I've got news for you.
They're coming.
I'm Brian Cooley, with my top five reasons why.
I think you'll be glad to have a HUD or head-up display in your next ride.
Let's go.
Number five, eliminate the center console screen.
You heard me.
Get rid of the center screen, the head unit.
I put this low, because, yes, even in the car business.
This is considered heretical talk.
But it is talk.
You see that big flat removable LCD right in the middle of your car.
It's kind of a big flat necessary evil for cars designers.
If they can get rid of that thing and have more creative flexibility in the middle of the dash, they'll do it.
I hope it just doesn't mean more cup holders.
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Number four.
Gesture control in the car.
One of the keys to powering future gesture control of our dashboard gear is to have a tightly integrated interface.
Otherwise you're flailing your arms all over, not sure what the car was expecting from you or getting confirmation of what it things you just flailed for.
A head-up display could be the easy channel.
Number three, information in context.
Think about it.
All the information your car presents to you is basically in the wrong place.
Speed isn't shown laid on the side of the road.
Navigation's not shown laid out on the lane.
Even your engine temperature's not displayed on the hood.
Nothing else is such a digital Picasso in your life.
But Hud could make things live where they should be.
Be.
Number two.
Faster re-focus.
Every time you glance at a gauge or a screen, you have to dramatically change your eye's focal plane and your center of focus.
And then do it again when you look back out the windshield.
And keep doing it over and over.
And by the way, it doesn't get faster as drivers get older.
A HUD lets your eyes stay in largely the same plane of focus and the same scope of view.
Seeing everything.
Number one is of course the holy grail eyes on the road because you can't react to what you didn't see.
Hud technology for the first time will drivers see everything at once.
Integrating the information of driving with the optics of driving while you carry out the physical actions of driving.
In many ways, the fact that cars were born before HUD technology, it's kind of a sad accident of history.
More top five lists for ways of car lover, go to CNETOnCars.com for Tom's top 5.
