Heads Up Display

I really like the idea of a HUD when I wear a helmet. Just makes sense to me. I participate in a couple of sports where it would be nice.

There is a commercial unit for SCUBA. There is now one for skiing. The one that tried in the cycle world was a flop. I think that was due to poor execution. It seems to me that technology is now where it shouldn't be too hard. The displays are out there. Droids and other smart phones provide apps that should be able to go through blue tooth technology. GPS could at least be an audio only input to the helmet via bluetooth. If the GPS was a visual display, it will provide speed, which would be nice. I would be happy with a blinking light for turn signal (which I often forget), low fuel, speed and tach.

I found a couple of links online where college students put together something clunky. One where a guy uses parts from a personal movie viewer. I think it is possibly. I'm curious why it isn't commercially available with all the folks who ride bikes.

Thoughts?

 

My wife, said someone from one of her forums had just used a pair of eye glasses (made by Sony) that allowed them to see closed captions at the movie theater. Don't know the full details yet, but that would suggest that the technology is out there. I would imagine that they have to be using some sort of wireless technology to send the signal to the wearer's seat. Not sure if glasses are the answer but maybe the face shield, or better yet, an inner drop down shield that uses the same technology.

 

Geeze, the last thing I want is people driving/riding around with even more distractions constantly in their line of sight.

 

I was going to respond earlier, but wanted to see if someone else shared the same feelings about it that I do. I couldn't agree more. The only device I would ever consider is a wireless, in-helmet, alert light for a radar detector, and only because it allows you to focus on the task at hand without looking down, and without a bunch of annoying sounds disrupting your concentration. Information processing overload is common with pilots of the latest fighter aircraft, due to the overwhelming amount of information that they receive via HUD. I'm in the thumbs down category when it comes to related technologies for motorcycles.






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I whole-heartedly agree. As to why nobody has made it for motorcycles yet? Liability, liability, liability, and low demand. Hard to earn a buck back from all of the R&D and design involved with the low number of potential buyers in the MC market, and like I might have mentioned before....liability. Did I mention liability?

 

I thought about that as well. That's why I thought just audio on a GPS would be useful. The graphics spread across your screen might be too much. But I would like a light off to the side to remind me that my blinkers are on. And speed of in one corner of the screen would keep me from looking down.

By screen, I mean my visor.

On a related issue, can you actually talk on a phone while riding? Seems the ambient noise would make it difficult even with an appropriate mic.

 

I'm not bashing anyone here, but if you can't remember to cancel your turn signal, you are already too busy to process any additional information.



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On a side note, I've always wondered why they quit making the self-cancelling turn signals. I had a couple bikes with them and they worked okay.

Seems like with all the electronics now it would be a piece o'cake.

 

We try to talk while riding at R3 but cannot hear a damn thing if you ride over 65 MPH

 

I'm impartial. I think it really depends on what is being displayed and how it affects your field of vision. NCB's point on limiting to things like the alert light makes the most sense. Use it for only vital information, not your iPod track list! You wouldn't want information that takes a lot of time to digest, just basic warning indicators at the most and having it as a "drop down" shield would allow you to choose when to use it. I recall driving a rental car that had a HUD for the speedometer display and after a while I didn't really notice it being there. I recall it worked kind of like bifocals, when you changed your focus you could see it and then just as easily change your focus back to the road and it wasn't an obstruction or distraction. I believe there was other information available too but it was quite a while ago and I can't honestly remember what and whether you could even turn the HUD off or not.

My wife needs closed captions for TV and movie watching, so one time at the movies I decided I would try and see what she has to put up with when at the show. They have this one device called "Rear Window Captioning" Rear Window Captioning System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and it works similar too a HUD, in where you have this piece of smoke plexiglass that sits in front of you and you view the movie screen through it and read the text that gets reflected onto it. It took me a little while to get used to but ultimately it was no big deal. I could watch the movie and read the text and didn't feel like I was missing either. Point here being, is that once you start using something like this or a HUD you get used to it and it really doesn't affect your concentration. At least not in my experience. I'm not saying we should all have a HUDs in our helmets with ticker tape like information, I just think that with the right information being displayed it could be something useful. Personally I think it's just too cost prohibited and no one is really clamoring for it more than anything else. I'm not sure how most of you ride, but my eyes are never on the same spot for too long. I'm always scanning the road or turning my head to get different views of the environment. If I had a HUD it would just be another place to temporarily focus my eyes.

My two cents...Peace Out!

 

Someone did invent a HUD for motorcycles.


CC Bike Tech - SportVue Head up

Jose

 

Well there you go. Either the British folks have been clamoring, they found a way to make it affordable or someone wanted to be the first to market! (Couldn't find pricing online) As far as waiving liability...just add a disclaimer!
*When properly installed, the HUD will be in your periphery allowing you to quickly glance at the display. It should never be installed directly in your line of sight.

 

Yup. That's the one I described as a flop. Apparently it was very poorly built, hard to instal and didn't work even when properly installed. I was thinking of something a little better. But in the periphery of my vision is what I was thinking of as well.