As the proportion of older drivers in the world’s leading nations grows, carmakers are finding new avenues for the technological advancement of safe driving. Taking a new angle on the head-up display (HUD) concept, General Motors is working on a prototype windshield system that enhances the driver’s view of the world instead of obstructing it with overlaid information.

Many companies and carmakers have developed systems that transparently overlay data such as speed and gear selection onto the windshield so that drivers don’t need to take their eyes from the road. Some systems, like that found in BMW’s 5-series cars, can also project directions and alerts from the navigation system onto the windscreen. But all of these systems only provide another form of instrumentation, duplicating the function of other devices in a more easily seen location.

Other approaches have also been taken in recent months, with GM’s European Opel division revealing its forward-looking camera system that is able to detect and interpret street signs, speed limit signs and other important road-side features and warn the driver of their presence.

GM’s enhanced windscreen augments older drivers’ vision
Designed specifically for the needs of older drivers, GM’s enhanced windscreen system picks out details that might be missed, especially in low-visibility situations, and highlights them with brightly drawn laser outlines, reports the Associated Press.

A complex arrangement of sensors is necessary to determine the driver’s head position and viewing angle, in order to ensure the information projected onto the screen is accurately placed. This high level of mechanical and technological complexity means it will still be several years before the systems are adequately robust and reliable to be employed in production cars.

An example application would be driving a winding road on a foggy day - conditions that make it hard to pick out the edges of the road, even for drivers with perfect vision. For drivers with compromised vision or decreased contrast sensitivity, both of which are common in older drivers due to a condition known as Age-Related Macular Degeneration, or ARMD, the problem is multiplied.

The GM system uses a combination of computers, cameras and a laser drawing system to see through the fog and figure out where the edge of the road is. It then projects its curve onto the windshield, so that the line integrates with the driver’s view of the world outside the car - effectively augmenting the driver’s natural visual ability.

The laser itself isn’t actually visible, so it won’t distract other drivers as it shoots out the window. Instead, the windscreen is coated in a material that reacts with the invisible low-power laser beam in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, generating visible patterns on the surface of the glass.

Still in experimental phase, but value increases with each passing year
The proportion of elderly drivers in the major developed nations, including Australia, is on the rise. Advancements in healthcare, nutrition and myriad safety areas mean lower mortality rates and longer life spans than in decades past. At the same time, a strong cultural preference for car ownership and personal mobility has developed. These combine to put an ever-increasing number of older drivers on the road.

One of the primary problems GM is having with the technology, however, is getting people to give it a fair chance. So many other, less intuitive HUD systems have been developed - most with poor results - that convincing drivers the system won’t simply block their view with redundant information is a major hurdle.

Technology that can help keep drivers safe through their golden years improves not only road safety, but the quality of life for the elderly as well. Being able to get to and from the shops, the doctor or family and friends is essential to a person’s independence, and the importance of that fact can’t be underestimated. Whether GM’s system will ultimately live up to this goal is yet to be shown, but it is off to a promising start.

Technology like GM’s windshield display will never be able to completely compensate for the poor vision or other restrictions, but they may be able to safely extend some drivers’ years behind the wheel.

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