German optical company ZEISS enters the automobile parts market
Hyundai Mobis selected as the first partner
The concept of using the entire windshield as a display
Improvements in safety, convenience, liveliness, etc. Completely replaces existing monitor
Securing original technology and completing prototype… Mass production scheduled for 2027
In the future, car windshields may replace interior displays. Because the driver’s gaze is always focused, various information can be checked more safely and intuitively, and various entertainment contents can be enjoyed vividly on a larger screen. This function is implemented through the convergence of automotive electronic systems and ultra-precision optical technology. Hyundai Mobis joined forces with German optical company ZEISS to present a new concept automotive display. ZEISS enters the automobile parts market for the first time.
Hyundai Mobis announced on the 13th that it will begin developing ‘Holographic Windshield Display (Holographic HUD)’ technology with ZEISS. Recently, the Hyundai Mobis Technology Research Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do signed a ‘business cooperation agreement’ with Zeiss of Germany for the development of the technology. As Hyundai Mobis and ZEISS are pursuing joint technology development and business cooperation, mid- to long-term cooperation is expected to continue. In particular, ZEISS selected Hyundai Mobis as its first partner to enter the automobile parts market.
Holographic HUD (head-up display) is a technology that uses the front windshield of a vehicle as a transparent display to display various information or content. It can be understood as an expanded concept of HUD, which displays simple driving information, but Hyundai Mobis and ZEISS aim to go further and implement technology that displays high-definition content on the windshield in a more colorful and clear manner. The idea is that the windshield completely replaces the display inside the vehicle. As a result, the concept image presented by Hyundai Mobis does not have a separate center display or digital dashboard in the vehicle. The front glass replaces this.
The concept of using glass windows as displays through movies, animations, technology concepts, etc. is a scene that is quite familiar to consumers. However, this technology is a next-generation display technology that has not been mass-produced to date.
Hyundai Mobis and ZEISS plan to mass produce products as early as 2027 through close technological cooperation. Hyundai Mobis introduced that its core technology is to clearly display various information in a wide space extending from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat, and that it is a technology that has dramatically evolved from the existing HUD, which only displayed simple information.
Regarding the need for transparent display technology using the front windshield of a car, he explained that it allows drivers to check various information in more detail and conveniently without moving their eyes significantly when looking ahead. The purpose is to significantly improve safety and convenience. In addition, it is said that another advantage is that it can provide a completely new interior structure to the vehicle while providing a sense of openness to the passengers.
Germany’s Zeiss is well known as a global optical company. It is a company that exerts influence in various fields such as semiconductors, medical care, and consumer goods based on precision optical technology. Optical equipment is also supplied to Netherlands’ ASML, the world’s No. 1 semiconductor exposure equipment company. Hyundai Mobis is a global auto parts company that provides products and services optimized for a variety of customers in the field of future mobility, including electrification, autonomous driving, infotainment, and connectivity. Under the vision of being a ‘mobility solution provider’, the company is seeking to reorganize its performance structure to reduce its dependence on Hyundai Motor Company and Kia, which are part of the same group, while expanding its independent performance targeting overseas automakers such as Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz. It has been recognized for its excellent technology and competitiveness in the global market, ranking 6th for three consecutive years in the ranking of the top 100 global auto parts companies published by Automotive News of the United States.
In this collaboration with ZEISS, we plan to concentrate our professional technological capabilities to develop holographic HUD technology. In detail, Hyundai Mobis oversees technological system development and develops and supplies automotive projectors, an element technology. In a holographic HUD system, a projector is a device that uses lenses and reflectors to project content such as videos and images onto a transparent screen. Specialized technological solutions for automobiles are required, including miniaturization of devices and management of noise, heat, and heat. It is said that in order for the light from the projector to appear clearly on a transparent glass window, a transparent and thin film using holographic technology is needed. When light enters the film, it uses photochemical properties (photo polymer) to create various patterns and display images and videos. The film thickness is less than 100 micrometers (about 0.1 mm), which is only about the thickness of a human hair. Germany’s Zeiss plans to develop and supply this film based on precision optical technology.
Although the formal business cooperation agreement was signed this time, Hyundai Mobis and ZEISS have already begun developing advanced products using original technology. It is known that a demonstration event using a prototype car was also held last month.
According to global market research firm OMDIA Research, the global holographic HUD automotive display market is expected to grow to approximately 7 million units by 2030. There are also predictions that it will become a next-generation display trend.
Su-kyung Su, Vice President of Hyundai Mobis Electrical Engineering Department (BU), said, “Starting with collaboration with Germany’s Zeiss on new technologies using vehicle front windshields, we plan to apply precision optical technology to various fields such as vehicle interior and exterior holographic displays and 3D rear lamps.” “We will continue to expand our cooperation with ZEISS.”
Meanwhile, Hyundai Mobis has presented various ideas for next-generation automobile displays through actual technological development achievements. We have developed the world’s first rollable display (2023) and variable swivel display (2022), in which a large display moves up and down to suit the driving situation and purpose of use. Earlier this year, a transparent display using hologram optical element technology was introduced at CES 2024 held in Las Vegas, USA.
In the case of ZEISS, it introduced ‘Multifunctional Smart Glass’ technology at CES 2024 this year. Through this, they presented a technology that uses automobile glass, exterior lamps, house doors and windows, elevator button pads, and aircraft windows as displays. It is expected that the smart glass technology used in this technology will also be applied to the Hyundai Mobis cooperation project.
Kim Min-beom, Donga.com reporter [email protected]
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