HARMAN, an automotive technology company and subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on designing consumer experiences at automotive grade, today unveiled HARMAN Ready Vision, a set of Augmented Reality (AR) head-up display (HUD) hardware and AR software products to enhance driver safety and awareness. Ready Vision’s AR software integrates with vehicle sensors to deliver immersive audio and visual alerts that empower the driver with critical knowledge and information, in a timely, accurate and non-intrusive manner.

HARMAN Ready Vision bridges the physical and digital worlds by displaying intuitive turn-by-turn directions on the windshield to help enhance driver cognition. Ready Vision also uses computer vision and machine learning for 3D object detection to deliver non-intrusive collision warnings, blind spot warnings, lane departure, lane change assist and low speed zone notifications to the driver, with high precision.

“This launch is a key component of HARMAN’s mission to enhance the safety of drivers, passengers and pedestrians, while cultivating transformative in-cabin experiences,” said Armin Prommersberger, Senior Vice President of Product Management, HARMAN International. “Ready Vision solves key industry challenges around driver safety by helping drivers better understand their surroundings and enabling an eyes-forward, focused journey. Our new product empowers the driver with the right information at the right time, even in the most unfamiliar driving scenarios, making their time on the road more intuitive and safe.”

Ready Vision is part of HARMAN’s line-up of new products introduced during EXPLORE at CES that are road-ready — and have demonstrated they deliver compelling in-cabin experiences. Each product is designed to work independently to deliver specific vehicle safety, well-being, and connectivity benefits — but also integrates seamlessly with other HARMAN Ready products for an even more enhanced experience. For example, Ready Vision is compatible with HARMAN Ready Care, offering extended situational awareness through enhanced audio/visual alerts when driver distraction is detected to bring them back to a more optimal state for driving.

Key features of HARMAN Ready Vision include:

• AR HUD hardware: An innovative design enables a large field of view, long virtual depth, optimal eye box and high brightness with a compact package volume and wedgeless windshield design, providing major cost saving for OEMs. Ready Vision initially provides two options — Large with 12˚ x 4˚ Field of View and Extra-large with 15˚ x 5˚ Field of View — that feature patented technologies and IP.

• AR software: Artificial intelligence and machine learning-based software framework integrate with computer vision to display the right information at the right time, with low latency for real-time 3D object detection. Ready Vision prioritises the display of relevant objects without obstructing the driver view. Ready Vision AR software effortlessly integrates multiple sensors such as navigation, ADAS and microphones to create smart and timely visual and audio alerts. Ready Vision incorporates HARMAN’s flagship directional and spatial audio into its software platform to help enhance driver perception and support their ability to respond to threats faster, while enabling them to keep their eyes on the road with intuitive and clear prompts.

HARMAN Ready Vision utilises these technological components to display key information on the windshield, augmented by directional immersive audio alerts, assisting drivers in keeping their eyes on the road, instead of having to view and process data from multiple screens to gain relevant insight. It also provides real-time, contextual points of interest, including street names and addresses, along with accurate and timely updates to the driver based on their profile, interests and preferences. Ready Vision’s integration of ultra-low latency visual and audio alerts also supports driver ability to respond to various traffic prompts and conditions.

For decades, HARMAN has been uniquely positioned at the intersection of automotive and consumer technology innovation, resulting in meaningful, industry-leading products. Through its key consumer and technology brands, deep industry expertise, and robust technology stack, HARMAN is equipped to deliver on the promise of consumer experiences through automotive-grade products today.