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This augmented reality GPS could solve one of the biggest problems with driving

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WayRay

In 2009, there were an estimated 2.2 million car accidents in the US. Vitaly Ponomarev was one of them.

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Ponomarev, CEO of the tech company WayRay, was adjusting the route on a new GPS system in the middle of traffic. It seemed simple enough, "but between a slow interface and a traffic jam, I had to reset the device itself to make it work again," he recalls. "When I tried to reset the route, I rear-ended the car in front of me."

A tech guy all his life, Ponomarev vowed to come up with a better system that didn't require the driver to take his eyes of the road.

The result of that vow is Navion, a heads-up display that projects holographic images onto the driver's windshield. It's an application of the "augmented reality" you keep hearing about. 

Only the driver can see the full-color holographic image, which keeps pace with the car's changing speed thanks to an in-house technology called Infinity Focus.

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As the driver coasts along, Navion displays a set of green arrows on the road ahead, which guide the driver along the intended route. It also provides the current speed, how far away the destination is, and the distance until the next turn. 

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WayRay

 

 

 

WayRay will launch a Kickstarter for Navion later this October. By the end of the year, the company plans to finalize the product's design and begin worldwide shipment in May of 2016. 

It'll be the latest attempt to bring augmented reality into the driver's seat. Earlier this year, BMW released MINI Augmented Vision glasses. They operate like Google Glass and seem to come with many of the same pitfalls, not the least of which is that you look like a weirdo. Last year, Jaguar unveiled a Virtual Windscreen concept, but the company says production wouldn't begin for another 10 years.

This comes after the smartphone decimated the GPS navigator market in the late 2000s. But unlike a Garmin or your trusty iPhone, Navion doesn't require you to bounce your attention between screen and windshield, which will cause accidents

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But unlike the other augmented reality products vying to help you on the road, the Navion isn't goofy-looking, it's downright slick. 

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WayRay

Another layer to Navion's technology is the so-called "infotainment" layer. It connects with the driver's smartphone via Bluetooth to display notifications in real-time on the windshield. Since safety is a top concern, users can only access this function if the car is stopped.

"You can interact with them by swiping them or clicking them with your gestures," Ponomarev says. Atop the steering wheel will be a sensor that picks up subtle hand movements along with a microphone for voice commands. Then when you start moving, Ponomarev says, the notifications disappear.

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WayRay

When production begins later this year, Navion will be available in two models: a basic device that only comes with the navigation system, for $300, and a pricier option that includes the infotainment layer, for $500.

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Eventually, Ponomarev envisions licensing the technology to major car manufacturers to bring the robust safety of heads-up display to the distracted masses.

CDC Virtual reality Technology
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