Video: Augmented reality and 5G next big thing in vehicles

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are set to become a US$673.6 billion industry by 2025.

Auto manufacturers such as BMW, Jaguar, Mazda and Mini are already integrating AR into production cars and vehicle leasing company Vanarama has visualised the four most exciting ways AR can be part of the motoring experience very soon.

These are intelligent terrain mapping, AR marketing, automated parking assistance, and intuitive road safety.

New technologies for intelligent terrain mapping are being worked on and patented by Mercedes-Benz, Google and Apple, allowing our road view from inside vehicles could look extremely different. Roadside markings will warn of ragged edges, for instance, and road signs and route trackers can be magnified.

AR advertising spend is predicted to hit US$2.6 billion in 2022. Bloomberg indicates that AR advertising in cars will be next to hit our windscreens.

Vanarama has visualised how this could involve promoting movies, displaying your balance as you drive past the bank, or pinpointing shoes a passer-by is wearing and creating a virtual advertisement on your windscreen.

Parking assistance using AR is the most implemented use of AR in cars today. The next stage, using 5G, is expected to identify empty spaces in a busy car park and highlight them to the driver. The windscreen will also show how much the car parking space is per hour, along with opening times and other useful information.

Windscreens may even be fitted with advanced infra-red cameras to illuminate dark car parks or side alleys on the driver’s command using a function called ‘daylight mode’.

PSA Groupe has begun improving road safety using AR in its heads-up display system, which projects light on to the windscreen. Safety features include lane keeping assist, obstacle warning and pedestrian detection.

Coming vehicle features are expected to have weather alerts to warn drivers of a potential downpour or thunderstorm, along with proximity sensors to make the driver aware of how close other cars are.