Automotive - Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has announced that it has developed a prototype projection display system for automotive dashboard applications. A key feature of the projection display system is the ability to project images on curved surfaces with a wide range of geometries including oval or triangular screens. This flexibility in display screen design is accomplished using a single optical display engine that can accommodate a wide range of projection screen shapes as illustrated below.
Mitsubishi has provided a block diagram (illustration below) of the projection display system. Illumination is provided by red, green and blue (RGB) light emitting diodes (LEDs). The firm points out that distortion-free images can be projected on curved, oval or triangular surfaces through a screen distortion adjustment process that predicts the distortion of images caused by complex curves, and adjusts the visual signal input to correct this distortion.
The use of RGB LED illumination enables the projection system to provide a substantially wider color gamut than a comparable display using a white LED source as illustrated below.
Mitsubishi notes that the system leverages display technologies that the firm has developed for their rear-projection TVs as well as car electronics that withstand severe operating conditions, thus ensuring high reliability.
The projection display system has been engineered to function in the automotive environment. The overall structure is designed to minimize distortion of the optical engine and chassis due to vibration or shock while driving, thus ensuring that displayed images remain crisp. The display also incorporates a plastic screen that Mitsubishi claims “absorbs light to maintain excellent visibility in bright environments.” In addition, a light sensor separately controls light emission from the individual RGB LEDs, each having its own temperature characteristics, thus maintaining color balance to stabilize color reproduction over a wide range of operating temperatures.
The new automotive projection display system clearly builds on prior development work performed by Mitsubishi over a period of years. At the December 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi Electric exhibited their EMIRAI automotive user interface concept featuring a curved, rear-projection display as the dashboard, a tactile interface with buttons that pop up when needed, and a safety system that uses biometrics.
The video below demonstrates the features and operation of the EMIRAI automotive user interface system. The EMIRAI system incorporates a rear projection dash display, with interactive ergonomic buttons on the steering wheel, and a console display with touch screen input capability. Kiyoshi Matsutani of Mitsubishi stated at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show that the EMIRAI concept could see automotive application “about ten years from now.”
Looking ahead, we can envision cars with substantially different user interfaces than we are now accustomed to. As Mitsubishi has demonstrated in their EMIRAI concept car, and their latest automotive projection display prototype, new user interface and display technologies should be appearing on your dashboard before too long. – Phil Wright
