Azumo, based in Chicago, wants to put displays in non-traditional places in the automobile.
It is in talks, according to Forbes, with an OEM company to include displays such as a picture of a Lyft rider’s face on the rear windshield so when the car pulls up, the rider knows the car is the one he ordered. Azumo’s technology can be used for displays on side windows that alert the car owner if the doors are locked or unlocked. A side window display can show a Lyft driver’s ID information (pictured above).
Azumo’s technology not only displays info, but can control car functions.
Azumo claims it can put its LCD display/controllers anywhere in the car, eliminating the need for heavy in dash controllers that are expensive. Areas all over the car can act like the touchscreen on a phone and look like they are embedded into the surface of the car, be it wood grain or metal.
The technology, called LCD 2.0, is basically a front-lit LCD that is paper thin and can be applied over a common, off-the-shelf LED.
When the display is not active, it becomes invisible as shown below.
Azumo’s VP Business Development Tom Klopcic told Forbes that car designers don’t want to be limited to the dash screen for displays. He argues that the navigation screen in the center of the dashboard isn’t always the best way to display information, especially to passengers. It can show too much information at once, causing driver distraction.
The technology is still two to three years or more away from becoming commercialized, said Azumo.
Source: Forbes
So, can we consider in-car AR as close as 2-3 years away then?