Yesterday, November 21, the CarBuzz news outlet found in the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) an application from Porsche, which invented a very unusual way of communicating between motorists while driving. The company’s developers propose to use special 3D holograms over the roof of the vehicle in real time so that road users can communicate important information to other motorists. And although the technology looks rather strange, in fact, in many driving scenarios, a hologram would be much more effective than the same brake lights.
According to the information in the patent application, which has a schematic drawing of how it should work, a small graphic display system will be installed on the roof of the car, which will be able to form a small-sized holographic projection right above the roof of the vehicle. The installation itself is a bit like a radio signal module, only in a flat format so as not to impair the aerodynamic properties of the car. The company even believes that this kind of “tablet” on the roof of the vehicle will only improve aerodynamics, although this, of course, is a controversial statement.
It is also not entirely clear what kind of information for the demonstration is in question. The manufacturer in the patent application specifies that the holographic projection will support the RGB palette, so that the “picture” above the car will be colored and can be displayed in any form. For example, you can show the direction of the turn with an arrow instead of traditional turn signals, notify you of an emergency and vehicle breakdowns, report poor coverage or other events on the road. In theory, this is a very effective format for notifying other drivers.
However, this project has a lot of disadvantages. For example, the patent states that such holographic images may also contain text notifications, which means that there is a chance of profanity over the roof of a car or even advertising messages. Moreover, an arrow above the roof of the vehicle in front can distract drivers, which can significantly increase the risk of accidents and collisions. Yes, and to abandon the usual turn signals and “emergency” will not work either, because in bad weather (snow, rain, fog), the hologram will be much less effective than standard brake lights.
Source: Trash Box
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
