GM Applies for Patent Application for Hologram Vehicle Control Technology 'Opens a New Era for Self-Driving Vehicle Control'

*This content was translated by AI.

General Motors (GM) recently applied for a patent for its "Autostereoscopic Campfire Display" technology that can fundamentally change the user experience of future mobility. The core of this technology is to project a three-dimensional 3D holographic image in the air and control various functions of the vehicle to completely replace or supplement existing touch screens, buttons, and knobs that physically exist inside the vehicle. The system, conceived by GM, is designed to allow drivers and passengers to see clear stereoscopic images with the naked eye without wearing separate special glasses, which is realized through an organic combination of sophisticated projection mechanisms and passenger monitoring systems mounted inside the vehicle.

The camera included in the system secures distortion-free visibility by tracking the passenger's eye position and gaze direction in real time and projecting a stereoscopic image optimized for each individual's viewing angle. Specifically, the device is characterized by irradiating virtual images at high frequencies above 30 Hz to minimize afterimage or flickering and provide a smooth high-resolution 3D visual experience. Users operate virtual buttons, sliders, and dials floating in the air as if they were touching a real object, and high-performance sensors built into the vehicle precisely detect the user's hand movements and gestures and immediately perform commands such as adjusting the infotainment system, setting the air conditioner, and entering the navigation destination.

This hologram control method dramatically increases the degree of freedom in vehicle interior design beyond just visual splendor, allowing for wider and more comfortable indoor habitability by emptying the space occupied by huge display panels on dashboards or center fascia. It also contains GM's long-term vision to transform the interior of the vehicle into a moving living or office space at a time when drivers do not have to hold the steering wheel as self-driving technology advances. When entering the Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous driving phases, passengers will be free to change their seating arrangements, at which time a holographic interface that is flexibly generated based on the passenger's location instead of a fixed screen will be a key factor in providing the best convenience. GM is also trying to widen the technology gap with competitors such as Tesla and Hyundai Motor by releasing innovative patents that maximize human-machine interaction (HMI) such as technology to change lanes by tracking drivers' eyes and AI systems that optimize indoor lighting and music.

In particular, the hologram technology can be seen as part of an attempt to extend augmented reality (AR) technology to entire vehicle windows or interior spaces, which can increase safety by preventing distractions while driving, while providing an immersive entertainment environment for passengers. GM's move symbolically shows that cars are evolving into highly intelligent devices beyond simple means of transportation, although it remains in the patent stage and has a number of technical and economic challenges such as miniaturization of hardware, securing visibility in sunlight, and reducing system construction costs before being applied to actual mass-produced cars.

Consumers purchasing future GM vehicles will no longer reach into the air and interact with the virtual interface instead of pressing physical buttons, suggesting that the futuristic driving environment seen in science fiction movies is approaching reality. In summary, GM's holographic control technology is a strategic stepping stone to preoccupy the standard interface of the future autonomous driving era as a focus of 3D projection, gaze tracking, and gesture recognition technology, and is a major technological milestone that foreshadows a revolutionary change in automobile interior design.

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*This content was translated by AI.