Augmented reality is coming to cars, with navigation in mind rather than art or entertainment. Mercedes-Benz is developing augmented reality for its in-car navigation system. Similar to what Audi A3 owners can do with an iPhone app (though just in Germany for now), these overlays will run on the in-car touchscreen as you drive around town.
The German luxury automaker will reveal the new technology at the InsideAR conference in Munich on October 10, according to a report posted on The Augmented Blog. The blog is managed by Metaio, the company that also spearheads the conference.
As you drive, the dashboard touchscreen will show a live video of your surroundings. Pop-up graphics like directional arrows, street names, and points of interest will appear on top of the video in real-time to help with navigation. It's partly an effort to help you find your destination, and partly a way to make driving more fun and productive.
A previous Mercedes-Benz research project, called the Dynamic & Intuitive Control Experience (or DICE), hinted at a video-centric experience inside the car. It relied on gestures and a head-up display (HUD) that appears on the windshield of the car.
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