Heads Up Displays for the Aftermarket

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HArman HUD

Heads up displays have been on view at CES in recent years, but momentum for bringing them to the aftermarket appears to be gaining.

Harman showed during CES a heads up display (HUD)  as a possible aftermarket device and Accele is now shipping a basic HUD for the aftermarket that plugs into the OBD2 port.

Harman’s HUD, was designed for BMW but was shown during CES to gauge reaction for the aftermarket.  It can be used with a smartphone via WiFi to project turn by turn directions onto the windshield where they may be more easily viewed by the driver.  The system would require power and you set it on the dashboard.

Harman’s HUD also displays readings for temperature, and speed. You see directions such as “Turn in 500 Feet” with an arrow pointing toward the turn. Directions would vary based on the app they were linked to such as Waze, Google Maps or Apple Maps, said Harman’s Glenn Ihrke.

“People are using their phone as a navigation device and it’s difficult to drive while using a smartphone. If you can show directions over an HUD it would be helpful. We believe that it’s a future product, universal for any car.”

Also at CES Accele displayed an aftermarket HUD that is currently shipping.

It is a universal HUD system that plugs directly into the OBD2 port to display on the windshield indicators such as speed, voltage, tachometer and temperature, as well as headlights on/off and seat belt on (depending on the car model).  A smaller version shows miles per hour and RPMs

The HUD unit sits on the dash. It comes with reflective paint that is applied to the windshield to create a holographic effect. The company will also release an app that will work with the system to display information on the users’ phone.

Pricing is $59 for the smaller version and $79 for the larger.The two units together cover about 90 percent of vehicles.

Accele’s HUDs are offered under the Beuler brand, for which Acelle became the exclusive supplier as of December (for Beuler Automotive and Beuler Consumer).

Also at CES, Pioneer showed a more advanced laser HUD this year that can now can project an image to appear about 30 to  40 feet in front of the vehicle.  JVC Kenwood showed an HUD in a McLaren 675LT supercar.

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