Skip to main content

Porsche Invests in Augmented Reality Head up Displays

Porsche has invested in technology startup WayRay, which specializes in augmented reality head up displays for automobiles.  The German automaker is now a strategic lead investor in WayRay following the company’s Series C funding round, along with JVCKenwood and Hyundai.

WayRay, which was founded by Russian businessman Vitaly Onomarev, is a leading developer of holographic augmented reality technologies. Its head up display system for cars is significantly smaller than other such systems on the market today and can also project more elaborate and detailed shapes and images. As you can tell from the mock-up images in the gallery, one of the ways Porsche envisions using the system is for driver coaching, displaying a ghost car and a virtual racing line on a racetrack for the driver – just like if they were playing Gran Turismo.

Automakers could also such a system for relaying relevant information to the driver when they are out on public streets as well. For example, it could display red Xes over an area the vehicle shouldn’t enter, such as a one-way street, or green ‘P’ logos overtop of an empty parking space. The technology could also be used on the passenger side of the vehicle to keep them entertained or to display route info and other data in an autonomous car of the future.

“The WayRay team has unique expertise with a solid background in space engineering, hardware and software development, Porsche deputy chairman Lutz Meschke said. “Their innovative ideas and products have great potential. We are convinced that on this basis we’ll be able to offer our clients customized Porsche solutions. That is why we have made this strategic investment decision.”

WayRay has raised more than $100M in capital since it was founded by Onomarev back in 2012. It currently employs more than 250 workers across its three offices in Russia, China and the USA and plans to open a production site in Germany next year. The company is hoping to boast a $1 billion valuation by 2019 and looks to be well on its way after receiving a cash injection from two of the most forward-thinking automakers in the business in Porsche and Hyundai.

a version of this article first appeared on AutoGuide

The post Porsche Invests in Augmented Reality Head up Displays appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex https://ift.tt/2OECTJu
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

2018 Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster Review

“Supercars just don’t excite me anymore.” These words, spoken to me over a month ago by another journalist, friend, and (so-called) enthusiast were echoing in my head for far too long, but they’ve finally been drowned out. Drowned out by the wail of a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine mounted in the middle of the new Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster. My friend’s point is that back in the good old days, there was a crop of supercars that captured the imagination with amazing style, sounds, performance, and more. Today, it seems like everything is capable of supercar performance, with large luxury sedans outdoing some of the best and most dedicated teams of car nuts, while former pillars of automotive excellence are suddenly pumping out family-friendly SUVs. Beyond that, another league of supercars, dubbed hypercars have cropped up with hybrid gas-electric powertrains that make magical things happen quickly, but at the cost of the acoustic drama, visual flair, and engag...

Project SportWagen: Going Stage 2 with APR

    When we last left you, the humble little SportWagen was fresh from the development process with our friends at AWE Tuning, sporting a new downpipe, exhaust and intake, allowing things to breathe a bit easier.  The car sounded great, but there was no getting around the fact that our wagon was still quite, well, slow.   While we realize that nothing we do to the Golf SportWagen at this point will make it a race car, we still felt compelled to do something .  To put it bluntly, we had a fever, and the only cure was more power. Flash forward a few hours, and we found ourselves at Waterfest, staring down APR’s palatial spread and the numerous tuned vehicles surrounding it.  Earlier in the year, APR had hinted to us that their 1.8 TSI files would be quite impressive, and based on what they were able to do with the 2.0 TSI found in the new GTI and our time in their Golf R, we knew it’d be worth the wait.  So with this in mind, we lined our G...

Project Golf SportWagen- Intro

I’ve never really been one for SUVs and crossovers.  The current offerings aren’t the body-on-frame, go-anywhere specialty tools I remember from my youth, and what they lack in capability, they also lack in on-road performance. The current crop isn’t terribly good at handling or being efficient, which in my opinion are major components of our ideal driving experience.  So when it comes to space or utility, I usually look for something of the wagon variety- and it seems that I’m not alone. We hit quite a few shows around the east coast each summer, and we see modified Jetta SportWagens at nearly every event. Even amongst common consumers, these cars are highly sought-after. They don’t depreciate much, making even early Mk 5 2.5 versions expensive in comparison to other Jettas or Golfs of the same vintage. This year, Volkswagen launched their latest SportWagen, which is now billed as a Golf.  In many ways, this latest SportWagen is the best yet and it has certai...