Bosch Developing 3D Heads Up Display For Cars

(Image credit: Bosch)

Bosch, the renowned engineering company that makes the fancy countertop touchscreen, is developing a peripheral-free 3D display systems for vehicle dashboards according to a press release shared earlier today.

(Image credit: Bosch)

Relying on passive 3D technology, images from the instrument cluster jump into the user's line of sight when needed and disappear when not in order to keep drivers' eyes focused on the road. 

"The display’s depth of field means drivers can grasp important visual information faster, whether from an assistance system or a traffic-jam alert. Alerts that seem to jump out of the display are much more obvious and urgent," said Bosch Car Multimedia Division President Steffen Berns. As we've seen with the Nintendo 3DS, glasses-free 3D can be quite immersive when done correctly.

While we've had two-dimensional augmented reality in cars for years, this 3D project by Bosch can create an unforeseen depth for gauging distance. Not only helpful in turn-by-turn navigation, the depth features can paired with rear-view camera renders, providing a greater level of detail of car surroundings.

While Bosch does not have a solid release date in mind, they claim the tech is ready and just needs to be ordered by a manufacturer. As we've seen similar features from premium vehicle makers like Audi and Mercedes, you can expect this technology to roll out in models throughout 2020.   

Hunter Fenollol
Senior Editor, Smart Home

Hunter Fenollol is a Senior Editor for Tom’s Guide. He specializes in smart home gadgets and appliances. Prior to joining the team, Hunter reviewed computers, wearables, and mixed reality gear for publications that include CNN Underscored, Popular Mechanics, and Laptop Magazine. When he’s not testing out the latest cooking gadgets, you can likely find him playing a round of golf or out with friends feeding his paycheck to a QuickHit slot machine.

Hunter started his career as an intern at Tom’s Guide back in 2019 while in college. He graduated from Long Island University Post with a degree in Communications and minor in Advertising. He has been vlogging ever since the iPhone 4 took front-facing cameras mainstream.