Mercedes-Benz is working on a holographic display that could offer a new alternative to the growing number of screens in luxury-car interiors. Despite the name, the system is not a free-floating image: it is an advanced type of heads-up display designed to put information on the windshield rather than another dashboard screen.
Like a conventional heads-up display, the system uses a projector. Its distinguishing component is a transparent film laminated into the windshield, incorporating holographic optical elements. Mercedes development engineer Lena Hees described these elements as “super-small mirrors” that selectively reflect the projector’s light.
According to the information provided, this design is intended to keep the projected image visible in direct sunlight while concealing it from the driver’s view. That could offer a different approach from passenger-side touchscreens, which Mercedes and other luxury-car makers currently use alongside driver-monitoring cameras or screen polarization to prevent the driver from seeing the passenger’s display.
Sources: Ars Technica.