We caught a prototype of the Pioneer AR-enabled Car Navigation System with HUD at CEATEC last year, and while that was just a prototype, Pioneer has announced the final version known as the “Cyber Navi.” Hmmm, that alone makes it sound as though it came right out from the movie “Avatar”, but I digress. You will be able to choose from the AVIC-VH99HUD (1D + 1D unit) and the lower end AVIC-ZH99HUD (2D unit) models, depending on your needs and budget, as they are slated for a late July 2012 release in Japan. There is no word on an actual price point just yet, although we could be looking at somewhere between $3,000 to $4,000 thereabouts after conversion. Sounds pricey, but do check out what it does after the jump.
Pioneer has laid claim that the Cyber Navi is the world’s first AR-enabled car navigation system that relies on an HUD (Heads Up Display), and these HUD displays will show off a 90cm x 30cm color image approximately 3 meters in front of the driver. It will have 720 x 260 resolution and has a brightness level of 12,000cd/m2 to make it viewable even under bright sunlight, and can be retro-installed in around 70% of current cars on the road. I am assuming that this 70% applies to cars driven on Japanese roads, although we will have to wait until later this month for the official list of compatible rides.
A new function thrown into the mix includes the ability to detect the speed limit after “reading” a traffic sign ahead, flashing an image of the sign for you to see and be alerted with an audio cue as well in order to minimize the number of speeding tickets on your record.
Filed in . Read more about Pioneer.