This seems to be a question without any doubt.
The journey is long and the driving is boring. People who want to rub hemp and play cards in an ox cart naturally have the motivation to continuously enrich the entertainment functions of the car. As one of the highlights, movies are constantly chanted by drivers and passengers.
All right, meet you. So there is a drive-in theater with FM radio and outdoor curtain, a second-best radio drama, a car mobile phone, a flat bracket, access to resources from major platforms, and a car-mounted high-definition big screen-now it’s time to compete for the screen size and quantity, one, two, three, until they are connected together.
However, with the continuous development of "out-of-car" technology (such as naked-eye 3D, VR/AR, etc.), the larger car screen can no longer satisfy people. As a result, OEMs have made great efforts to (da) follow (kai) and (nao) dong, and the "black technology" around watching movies and other entertainment projects has followed.
VR/AR stream: Audi
When it comes to black technology players, Audi definitely belongs to the first echelon.
At the 2019 International Consumer Electronics Show (hereinafter referred to as CES), Audi demonstrated its new generation of in-vehicle entertainment system, which can match the virtual entertainment content in real time according to the movement of the vehicle, and the rear passengers can experience the visual experience of the 4D cinema while the vehicle is driving.
The system is developed by Audi Electronics Venture, a subsidiary of Audi, and is responsible for the commercialization of VR technology through an open platform. In the future, the company will also provide their services to all car manufacturers and content developers. When the car is equipped with this in-vehicle entertainment system, the rear passengers can experience movies, video games and other in-vehicle interactive content in real time by wearing VR glasses.
The system can be experienced on Audi’s first pure electric product, e-tron. With the help of the Internet of Vehicles and VR glasses, when the vehicle is stationary, the rear passengers will stay in the virtual spaceship. When the vehicle accelerates, the passengers will feel the state of the rocket taking off, and all the movements of the e-tron will be synchronized in real time and mapped into the virtual experience space.
Specific to commercial applications, Audi said that the system is planned to be introduced to the market within three years.
Ideas are always beautiful. I have two biggest concerns about this technology. First, whether the content can keep up, it seems that if there are only a few films and scenes, it is easy to keep eating ash with the freshness.
Second, it is whether you will get carsick.
Window flow: modern
Also at CES, Hyundai Motor released a new virtual space touch technology, which can be used to "eat" with the window display technology, so that the car can become a small "cinema" with a slight finger movement.
In the autonomous driving concept cockpit named Autonomous Driving Interior Concept, not only the physical buttons are eliminated, but also the touch screen is eliminated. You can make a simple action of "pressing" with your fingers in the air to control the vehicle system. In manual driving mode, the window will be transparent; In the automatic driving mode, the window will automatically darken, and the surrounding conditions of the vehicle will be displayed in the form of video. When the video is projected on the window, the window will become the big screen of the car, and you can enjoy a real three-dimensional surround movie at this time.
Vehicle projection stream: Ford
Compared with the above two cool sci-fi ways, Ford’s scheme is very grounded.
It recently applied for two patents.
The first is a patent called "Portable Entertainment Support System", which will be used in the carriage of pickup trucks (such as Ford’s famous F-150).
In the patent drawing, Ford wants to add a pull-down screen and speakers on the higher crossbar, while the projector installed on the lower crossbar can turn the carriage into a mobile cinema. In addition, the TV can be installed on a higher crossbar through a common wall-mounted kit. If the truck is going to run, it is easy to remove the crossbar and store everything in the compartment.
It seems simple, but many technical parameters need to be considered in the design.
The second is a projector installed on the rear fender of a car, which can project TV or any video onto an external device. Imagine that when the sun goes down, everyone will gather around the campfire, the owner will open the tailgate of the car, and then everyone will watch movies or play video games under the stars.
In addition, the design can also provide external lighting. For example, when night falls, the projector can project light onto the table, so it is very suitable for camping or playing in the wild.
In China, car projection is not a high-frequency requirement, but with the gradual popularization of go on road trip and the increasing demand for travel and entertainment, more and more people will need this function in the future.
3D stream: jaguar land rover
It is reported that Jaguar Land Rover Group is developing a new head-up display HUD, which can play 3D images in the car. This new type of HUD can not only project real-time information like the traditional HUD, but also allow passengers to watch 3D movies safely. "Head and eye tracking technology will track users’ positions to ensure that they can see 3D pictures without wearing optical/shutter 3D glasses or providing a separate screen for each passenger."
The concept of 3D cinema also reflects Jaguar Land Rover’s confidence in the future sharing and driverless trends.
Many suppliers are also keen on the research and development of naked-eye 3D, holographic projection and other technologies. For example, Bosch recently launched a brand-new 3D display product. The display screen can generate a very realistic three-dimensional effect, which allows the driver to capture the on-screen information more quickly. When parking, the realistic display screen allows the driver to judge the remaining space between the vehicle and the wall more intuitively and effectively. In addition, naked-eye 3D can also play a big role in the field of map navigation.
These technologies will produce amazing results when applied to entertainment systems. However, like other forms, it may encounter the problem that the content cannot be updated quickly with technical means. At the same time, when the picture and content are more complicated, it is also a test for the hardware and computing power of the car machine.
Headlight flow: Mercedes-Benz /WEY
This is a school whose concept is well understood but whose technology still needs to be worked hard.
Simply put, it is to let the traditional car headlights evolve and evolve again until it can be used as a projector-that is, the application of lighting digital projection technology in car lamps.
Nowadays, Mercedes-Benz’s Digital Light technology and domestic brand WEY’s intelligent pixel headlight concept have been able to project words, traffic signs and more complex graphics.
At present, the main application of this technology lies in the safety assistance and reminder during driving. The entertainment function is just an adjunct to the icing on the cake. However, who can guarantee that a very interesting new gameplay will not be born with the breakthrough of a certain technology in the future? After all, when it comes to headlight projection, many people’s subconscious reaction is still "that can be used to show movies."
Advantages and disadvantages of watching movies in the car
The benefits are obvious. It is not limited by the region, has good privacy, can kill time (especially when the electric car is charging), and can also coax children and so on.
The disadvantages mainly focus on the safety problems during driving-it will distract the driver’s attention to some extent. Before autonomous driving is realized, greedy eyes will also be a big problem. After all, people sitting next to you laugh at pigs from time to time while watching movies and drinking coke, but they are driving hard, which will inevitably lead to psychological imbalance. Autopilot. Come on.
Of course, some people say that watching movies with an electric car will consume electricity and shorten the cruising range, so it is suspected of raising the bar.
It can be seen from all kinds of "schools" of technology that the application of technology is becoming more and more diversified-one technology is no longer specially designed for a certain scene, it can be used for entertainment, and it can also be used to improve security or information systems. With the "mixing" of technology, multiple systems in the car gradually blend into an organic whole, which is no longer so distinct.
And this may be the performance that the intelligent era is about to open.