Bosch is working to bring 3D displays to the car
No glasses necessary.
3D TVs never really took off, but that doesn't mean the technology can't be useful in ways beyond home entertainment. Bosch is a supplier with its hands all over the industry, including gauge cluster displays, and the company is working to bring 3D tech to the car.
Bosch announced on Monday that it's developing 3D displays for use in vehicles. It relies on passive 3D technology, one of two primary ways to create three-dimensional images on a screen. Thankfully, unlike televisions , Bosch claims its display requires neither eye tracking nor glasses to produce the effect, but it didn't give any more detail than that.
"The display's depth of field means drivers can grasp important visual information faster, whether from an assistance system or a traffic-jam alert," said Steffen Berns, president of Bosch's automotive multimedia arm, in a statement. "Alerts that seem to jump out of the display are much more obvious and urgent."
This tech has applications beyond warnings and alerts, too. In its release, Bosch mentions that it could be used with a backup camera display, giving the driver actual depth in the display, ideally making it easier to see obstacles and nail a solid park job. Bosch also sees it being useful in turn-by-turn directions by better highlighting navigation landmarks.
Bosch's tech would be brand spanking new in the industry. We've come close to this kind of display in the past, but it hasn't really been true 3D. Take Mercedes-Benz's MBUX infotainment system, for example. It uses a forward-facing camera to create augmented-reality turn-by-turn directions on the display, with turn suggestions appearing to float above an intersection. It mimics depth really well, but it's still two-dimensional.
