Samsung develops various technologies every year, and some of them eventually appear in real-life products. The company has been working on various AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) technologies over the past few years and has filed several patents. A new patent filed by the company was published recently, showing a neat AR feature that could improve the whole turn-by-turn navigation experience while driving.
The patent describes AR glasses that could overlay turn-by-turn navigation information and signs directly in front of a driver's eyes. While some cars and heads-up displays already have capabilities to show navigation information on the windshield, AR glasses could feel more immersive and closer to reality. The system could include an outward-facing camera to read the road and an inward-facing camera to analyze the driver.
There are several advantages of using AR glasses instead of heads-up displays. Unlike heads-up displays that stay fixed, AR glasses could show navigation information and points of interest even when the driver is looking around while driving. Apart from navigation, Samsung's AR glasses patent describes overlaying additional information such as exit ramps, fuel stations, points of interest, and more.
For this system to work, Samsung's AR glasses need to work in sync with a maps app on a smartphone (or a navigation unit inside the car), GPS, multiple cameras, and sensors. Samsung already makes various smart car-related technologies and components such as camera sensors, infotainment units, processors, and it has plans to do more in the future.
