headsup

By Chris Scott Barr

Way back in 2007 David and I had the chance to go up to Michigan and drive some of GM’s current line of vehicles, which was a blast. The ’08 Corvette was definitely my favorite, and one of the features that I thought was really cool (other than the horsepower, smooth transmission, etc.) was the HUD-style speedometer. It was nice not having to take your eyes off the road to check your speed (which was probably best when I was hitting 120mph on the test track). Well now you can add this feature to any car with the HG400 Heads Up Display.

This gadget uses GPS technology to measure your speed, which is likely to be more reliable than the speedometer in older cars. Besides just projecting your speed and heading onto your windshield, it can also be set to inform you when you go over a certain speed, hopefully saving you from getting a speeding ticket. It gets its power from your car’s cigarette lighter, and can interact with your other gadgets via Bluetooth, though I’m not really sure why my phone wants to know how fast I’m going. The HG400 seems like it might be cool, but unless you’re really worried about your car’s speedometer, I’m not sure it’s worth the $125 price tag.

[ InternationalAuto ] VIA [ RGS ]

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6 COMMENTS

  1. My guess is, that becase the device uses GPS to determine how fast you're traveling, it uses the Bluetooth integration capabilites to hook up to someones phone/car pc/laptop to it too, can use the GPS capabilites of the device (Nav software)

  4. Is it true that GM holds the patent for HUD-style technology in cars? I once heard that as the reason it has never become more widespread.

    I don't understand the technicalities but it always seemed to me like a no-brainer to project important info onto the windshield, especially given that planes have had HUDs for decades. Surely it won't be long until somebody finds a method of incorporating an ultra thin transparent display screen into the glass itself?

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