My Comfort is your Safety - Head-Up Displays in Automotive Design

Motivation and Advantages of HUDs

The primary goal of a Head-Up Display (HUD) is to project information onto the windshield as a virtual image a few meters in front of the car. This technology offers significant advantages over traditional instrument cluster displays. Firstly, it allows drivers to keep their heads up and their eyes on the road, reducing the risk of accidents caused by distraction. Secondly, the virtual image requires less accommodation from the eye, reducing stress and fatigue during long drives. By enhancing the driver's field of view with crucial information, HUDs contribute to a safer and more comfortable driving experience.

Simulation and Testing with LucidShape CAA V5 Based

LucidShape CAA V5 Based is a non-sequential ray tracing software that complements CODE V by offering comprehensive simulation capabilities. It uses a Monte Carlo algorithm to simulate all paths at once, allowing for more accurate and detailed analysis. This software is particularly useful for designing and testing the housing of HUDs, which can be added in CATIA. One of the standout features of LucidShape is its backward simulation capability, where rays are launched from the luminance camera sensor to the Picture Generation Unit (PGU), ensuring precise and much faster results.

LucidShape also excels in homogeneity checks and ghost image simulations. Advanced analysis tools allow for custom measurement areas and various calculations to ensure uniformity across the display. Additionally, the software can simulate chromatic homogeneity and compare results against regulatory standards. 

Realistic Rendering (Visualization) in LucidShape CAA V5 Based

For realistic rendering, LucidShape CAA V5 Based uses HDR files to create environment light sources, providing photorealistic visualizations that help designers evaluate the final product under different lighting conditions.

PGU (Picture Generation Unit) and environment light sources can be superimposed and controlled individually to change either environmental conditions, or the HUD brightness. Human Eye Vision Image (HEVI) permits to visualize a simulation result as if we would be looking at it with our own eyes: scale is adapted to fit the eyes’ dynamic, and some physiological effects can be added, like the glare, when a bright light source is observed in a dark environment.

With panoramas, you are able to simulate different driver’s positions at once, as if the driver’s eye would be moving inside the defined eyebox. That permits to analyze effects like vignetting.

Conclusion

Synopsys solutions, including CODE V and LucidShape CAA V5 Based, provide a comprehensive suite of tools for designing, simulating, and visualizing Head-Up Displays in automotive design. By leveraging these advanced technologies, automotive engineers can create HUDs that enhance driver safety, reduce fatigue, and improve the overall driving experience.