In a similar way to head-up-displays like the Garmin HUD, the upcoming Carloudy sits on a car dash and throws navigation prompts onto the windscreen. But thanks to a display technology that sips at the battery, its designers are promising weeks of daylight or nighttime visible usage without needing to hit the charger.
"Carloudy is the first HUD to use an electronic paper display (no heat or moving parts, visible in all light conditions, and lasts two weeks on one charge)," a spokesman for Cognitive AI Technologies told Gizmag.
The Carloudy features a six-inch, high-definition semi-transparent display that uses an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust brightness, with the image reflected on the windshield.
It works with a Bluetooth-paired smartphone running a companion app, which is aimed at providing turn-by-turn navigation via Google Maps, parking and traffic availability in real-time, a speed limit display, and helps find useful services such as food and drink, car washes, hotels and more. The designers also point out that distracting features like text alerts, email notifications and social media updates were purposefully left out.
The 6.57 x 5.16 x 0.39 in (166.88 x 131.06 x 12.7 mm), 0.55 lb (250 g) Carloudy features a low power ARM processor, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and a micro-USB port for charging its battery. It supports iPhone 4S or later, Android 4.4 (or newer) smart devices and is controlled by voice or via a steering wheel's Bluetooth controller (or a third-party Bluetooth remote for older vehicles).
To make the leap into production, the Carloudy is due to go live on Kickstarter soon. It's expected to sell for a suggested retail price of US$259, but crowdfunding backers will be offered early bird perks of $179.
The video below explains how Carloudy works.
Source: Cognitive AI Technologies