Development of Hologram Head-Up Display

Instrument clusters used in automobiles play an important role as man-machine interface. A variety of information about the current driving situation is conveyed to the driver quickly and accurately. A great interest has been taken in the high visibility and legibility of the head-up display (HUD). Originally developed as display used in aeronautical applications, the authors have tried to exploit ways to adapt this device for automotive use. They have succeeded to produce a new HUD system, which has the following design features: (1) High brightness and high contrast display device using a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a halogen lamp illumination; (2) Long focus display in two colors using holographic lens; and (3) Automatic dimming control system using an illuminance sensor.