Augmented Reality Navigation Systems

Placed on or even integrated into the windshield, AR Navigation systems can seriously improve the driving-experience. A phone or a dedicated screen in the windshield would display directions, speed limits, and traffic warnings right on the road. The same could also work with AR goggles. And not just in the car, pedestrians could use a similar smartphone app just as well.

Benefits

Perhaps the biggest and most apparent benefit is safety. Having directions shown on the road is perfect since this where the driver is supposed to look. Plenty of accidents happen because drivers are checking their phone for directions.

Challenges

Colorful and unnatural icons on the road might be just as distracting as they might be helpful. In the end, this technology has to be very refined before being useful and safe. If the tracking doesn't work flawlessly, drivers might get guided off of the road, for example.

Take away

Driving and traffic are sensitive topics, as they always deal with severe safety risks. AR navigation systems could improve safety on our streets, but they could also do the exact opposite. There will probably come a lot of solutions as soon as AR glasses are more widely available and used.

Examples

Sygic’s AR Addon

Sygic offers a paid AR add-on for their smartphone car navigation app.

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