Your future car could have a windscreen with an augmented reality display that would make the surrounding environment have floating information similar to what appeared in the movie Minority Report. Porsche and Hyundai along with JVC Kenwood and other companies have pumped $80 million into the Swiss firm WayRay that has been developing the AR tech to be roadworthy.

This tech could be the future of motoring

WayRay's augmented reality tech projects virtual objects onto the windscreen to appear as an overlay onto a rear world landscape. The firm claims that its system has "a smaller projection system that can be installed in almost any car model," versus the head-up displays that automakers currently use. The AR elements can be visible to both drivers and passengers, depending on the needs of an automaker.

Porsche Augmented Reality Windshield

The company's promotional photos show the augmented reality system creating a real-world video-game-like display with the racing line, braking points, speed, and lap time. The result looks straight out of Forza Motorsport. In the real world, the windscreen could show things like construction zones and free parking spots.

Porsche Augmented Reality Windshield

WayRay has raised over $100 million in investments since the firm's founding in 2012. The firm is now able to manufacture its own holographic optical systems, hardware, and software. The next step is opening a factory in Germany.

Porsche Augmented Reality Windshield

Many firms see augmented reality as the future of motoring because the tech offers a way to put more information in front of drivers without needing to look down at instruments or an infotainment screen. At the Consumer Electronics Show in 2015,Hyundai showed off a version of the tech that could display arrows to point out navigation directions, in addition to showing blind spot and safe following distance warnings. Apple has also patented a system that was able to take navigation info from an iPhone, send it to the car's infotainment system, and then display the info on the windscreen.

Gallery: Porsche Augmented Reality Windshield

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 WayRay raises $80M in a Round C led by Porsche and joined by Hyundai Motor, JVCKENWOOD, and other investors, aiming to become a $1B company next year.

 

Swiss deep-tech startup WayRay has closed its Series C financing round led by Porsche to bring holographic AR solutions to the automotive industry and beyond. 

 

Zurich, 18/09/2018 — WayRay, a leader of holographic AR displays for cars, has today announced a new investment from Porsche, Hyundai Motor, Alibaba Group, China Merchants Capital, JVCKENWOOD, and Consortium of Sovereign Wealth Funds (JBIC and partners). The newly raised funds will bolster the company’s focus on R&D, industrialization and team expansion to become a supplier of holographic AR solutions for car manufacturers. 

 

Porsche first joined forces with WayRay for a pilot project at Startup Autobahn, Europe’s biggest platform for automotive innovation. Now the premium German car manufacturer is leading investment Round C, along with China Merchants Capital, one of the largest Chinese investment companies.

 

Since its inception in 2012, the Swiss startup has raised more than $100M. By the end of 2019, the company aims to become a unicorn with a $1 billion valuation. 

 

In its transition from startup to scaleup, WayRay plans to use the raised funds to establish an affiliate with a pilot production line in Germany. The investments will also help to diversify WayRay’s portfolio of applications in different sectors — from AR in transportation to AR smart glass in the smart home business and construction industry.

 

WayRay’s holographic AR solutions create a true augmented reality experience, where virtual objects are seamlessly integrated into the world around the car. Compared to the conventional HUDs (head-up displays) available on the market, WayRay’s technology boasts a smaller projection system that can be installed in almost any car model. Its exceedingly wide field of view allows for displaying more virtual objects at a comfortable distance for drivers’ eyes. There are currently no other technologies capable of matching those parameters. Another key competitive advantage of WayRay’s solutions is the customizability for both drivers and passengers, conventional vehicles and self-driving cars, consumers (aftermarket) and businesses (OEMs). 

 

Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT at Porsche: “The WayRay team has unique expertise with a solid background in space engineering, hardware and software development. Their innovative ideas and products have great potential. We are convinced that on this basis we’ll be able to offer our clients customized Porsche solutions. That is why we have made this strategic investment decision.”

 

Dr. Youngcho Chi, Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group: “WayRay has remarkable expertise in both hardware and software development for holographic AR display systems. The Hyundai–WayRay collaboration will help us establish a brand new eco-system that harnesses AR technology to enhance not only navigation systems but establish an AR platform for smart cities and smart buildings, which are Hyundai Motor Group’s new business interests, in the long term, providing innovative customer experiences to our drivers.”

 

Vitaly Ponomarev, CEO of WayRay: “As a deep-tech company, we are committed to creating fundamental innovations that bring us far beyond holographic AR displays and new interfaces. A growing number of projects with carmakers and strong investors are fueling the company’s growth and boosting our confidence in implementing complex innovations. We are proud to be recognized as a reliable partner able to meet the high standards set by investors like Porsche and Hyundai.”

 

For additional information, please contact: 

PRteam@wayray.com

 

About WayRay

 

Founded in 2012, WayRay is a holographic AR technology company headquartered in Zurich. In keeping the full R&D process under control — from product concept to prototype testing — WayRay has morphed from a startup into a full-cycle manufacturer of holographic optical systems, hardware, and software. 

 

With more than 250 professionals employed globally, WayRay has offices in Switzerland, USA, China, Russia, and is now establishing a factory in Germany. 

 

WayRay’s solutions for the automotive industry include Navion, the first-ever aftermarket holographic AR navigation system; the embedded Holographic AR Display, a built-in solution for carmakers; the True AR SDK for developers to create AR apps for cars; and Element, a gamified car tracker for smarter driving. In the last few years, WayRay has carried out successful projects with a number of car manufacturers.

 

Official hashtags: #HolographicAR and #ARforCars

 

For more information please visit:

Website: wayray.com

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Twitter: twitter.com/WayRay


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