Aiming to increase safety in urban rail transport, Continental has developed a tailor-made head-up display (HUD) for streetcars, based on automotive quality standards.
German automotive parts manufacturer Continental has been making head-up displays for years, but up until now, it’s only focused on small passenger cars and the commercial vehicle sector. Now, the Continental Engineering Services (CES) division has been commissioned by a rail vehicle manufacturer to use the technology in rail transportation, in which, according to Continental, HUDs have been practically non-existent.
Projecting information on an external transparent screen, right in the driver’s field of vision, the newly developed Combiner HUD for rail vehicles helps streetcar drivers focus their attention on what’s happening on the road. By displaying everything in their direct field of vision, the HUD makes the entire driving experience safer, more comfortable, and less tiring. The combiner HUD is cost-effective and can be used both in newly developed vehicles as well as older ones, as a retrofit.
Information such as speed, the distance to the next stop, warning signals, and more, can now be placed in the driver’s direct field of vision via a central head-up display so that it doesn't distract attention from the traffic. Both the road and the cockpit display can be seen simultaneously, and the information appears at what is perceived as the same distance. As for the image quality, Continental ensures it is top-notch even in direct sunlight, thanks to the powerful LEDs used.
Adapting its automotive technologies for new types of applications, CES is also working on including other solutions for rail vehicles. For instance, a front or side-facing collision warning system, or driver status monitoring using a camera.
Continental specifies that it plans to start using the head-up displays for streetcars in Europe this year. As for future applications, the German company also intends to implement the technology in long-distance trains.
Projecting information on an external transparent screen, right in the driver’s field of vision, the newly developed Combiner HUD for rail vehicles helps streetcar drivers focus their attention on what’s happening on the road. By displaying everything in their direct field of vision, the HUD makes the entire driving experience safer, more comfortable, and less tiring. The combiner HUD is cost-effective and can be used both in newly developed vehicles as well as older ones, as a retrofit.
Information such as speed, the distance to the next stop, warning signals, and more, can now be placed in the driver’s direct field of vision via a central head-up display so that it doesn't distract attention from the traffic. Both the road and the cockpit display can be seen simultaneously, and the information appears at what is perceived as the same distance. As for the image quality, Continental ensures it is top-notch even in direct sunlight, thanks to the powerful LEDs used.
Adapting its automotive technologies for new types of applications, CES is also working on including other solutions for rail vehicles. For instance, a front or side-facing collision warning system, or driver status monitoring using a camera.
Continental specifies that it plans to start using the head-up displays for streetcars in Europe this year. As for future applications, the German company also intends to implement the technology in long-distance trains.