Ford’s AR Headlights Display Directions On The Road

Never take your eyes off the road again.

American car manufacturer Ford recently unveiled new high-resolution headlights capable of projecting vital information directly onto the road as you drive using augmented reality (AR) technology. This includes everything from turn-by-turn navigation and real-time weather conditions to important street signs.

“What started as playing around with a projector light and a blank wall could take lighting technologies to a whole new level,” said Lars Junker, Features and Software, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, Ford of Europe.

“There’s the potential now to do so much more than simply illuminate the road ahead, to help reduce the stress involved in driving at night. The driver could get essential information without ever needing to take their eyes off the road.”

In a video provided by the company, we can these AR-enabled headlights being used in a variety of unique scenarios. One example shows how the technology can be used to keep the driver up-to-date on changing weather conditions by displaying images on the road, such as a snowflake.

The system can also be used to guide drivers to their desired location and show how much room a driver has between other drivers or cyclists.

What makes this system so unique from the other AR heads-up displays we’ve covered in the past is its ability to translate information not only to the driver, but to pedestrians and other motorists as well. Everyone is able to see the projections on the road, resulting in an overall safer driving experience.

“Projecting information onto the road using high-resolution headlights could benefit other road users too,” added the company. “For example, a crosswalk could be projected, both for the view of the driver and the pedestrian, in situations where the existing road markings are faded or unclear.”