As more and more vehicle information is being channeled to drivers of cars and commercial trucks alike, heads-up displays (HUDs) will become a critical – and profitable – component for vehicles of all sizes going forward.
“Solid-state electronics and other technologies new to heads-up displays have produced dramatic improvements,” said David Alexander, principal analyst at consulting firm ABI Research in Oyster Bay, NY. “System developers can now deliver more clarity, more color, and brighter displays. Additional benefits include lower power consumption and less heat generation, which in turn will lead to greater reliability.”
Alexander said demand for HUDs is increasing as the multiplication of features and applications in cars and trucks has led to concerns about information overload and distracted drivers.
Entertainment choices, as well as status information and navigation instructions, are pulling drivers’ attention away from the basic task of driving – and one solution is to display key information in the driver’s line of sight, reducing the need to look away from the road ahead, he explained.
That demand could also turn into a serious revenue stream for component suppliers, comprising a $400 million market by 2012. Alexander said tier-one automotive suppliers such as Delphi, Denso, Siemens VDO, and Nippon Seiki, should be able to capitalize on this market if they continue to develop attractive HUD solutions for their OEM customers-- solutions that would require less dashboard real estate without increasing cost.
