Let's face it: driving can be boring. And in order to curb our boredom with texting, talking or other distractions, we sometimes end up hitting the curb instead. To help keep our eyes on the road and off other screens, Pioneer created a screen of its own, the ND-HUD01. That might sound a bit counter-productive, but since the display is transparent and meant to be mounted over your windshield, your eyes won't be wandering too far. Distracted driving has accounted for the deaths of 3,331 people in 2011 alone, according to government statistics, and has injured 387,000 in the same year, making it a serious issue for public safety.
The ND-HUD01, which was just unveiled at CEATEC 2013, builds on the success of Pioneer's older heads-up display (HUD) models. The newest, most compact model has GPS navigation features, time, vehicle speed and other essentials, eliminating the need for a GPS device or a phone GPS that would require you to take your eyes off the road to look at. It attaches to the top of your windshield and resembles a thin, rectangular glass panel that has a digital readout which updates in real-time while you drive.
Though the ND-HUD01 does seem like an attractive alternative to using a traditional GPS, it does face a huge drawback: limited viewing angles. Because the display is not viewable at certain angles, the driver may need to stop and position it in order to properly see directions, which can be a huge distraction in itself.
Still, it seems like a viable solution to keeping your eyes on the road versus current technologies. It will be out later this month in Europe and Japan for 600 euros and 60,000 yen, respectively. VIDEO
Via PCWorld
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