While it may not be as fast as its GT cousin, Audi’s upcoming Q4 e-tron compact crossover EV will have some new tricks that the sedan does not. The Q4 will be specifically equipped with a sleek, though optional, augmented reality heads-up display (HUD) that can display critical driving data directly into the driver’s view.
HUDs are not exactly new in the car or even EV space. I was a big fan of the pop-up HUD on the Kia Niro EV for the first time from 2019. However, the Q4’s HUD is much more than a simple piece of transparent plastic on the steering column – it’s displayed in the windscreen itself . The HUD consists of two sections: a static status section that shows basic information, such as the vehicle’s current speed and traffic signs, and an active augmented reality (AR) section. Within the AR section, features such as turning arrows generated by the navigation system will be placed in the driver’s field of vision (approximately where it should be in real life), and appear to be up to 10 meters in front of the vehicle. at 60 FPS and about 70 inches obliquely covered section of the windshield. The status section, on the other hand, will apparently sit just 3 meters in front of the driver’s position.
Audi
To generate these images, the Q4 relies on what Audi calls its image generation unit (PGU), located in the instrument’s group. “A particularly bright LCD transmits the light rays it generates on two mirrors, and special optical components separate the sections for the near field and distant areas,” the company explained in a press release on Tuesday. “The mirrors stand on the beams on a large concave mirror that is electrically adjustable. From there, they reach the windshield, which reflects them into what is known as the eye socket, and thus onto the driver’s eyes. ”
To prevent the supplemented images from losing shock, jumping or otherwise syncing with the actual situation around them, the Q4 uses an AR Creator (mainly a software-based modular processing unit) to constantly predict where objects are around the vehicle and how fast they are positions change during the fractions of a second to collect, process and display the information picked up by the various sensors of the vehicle. This prevents the AR image from shaking and frightening as you drive down the street.
Audi
It’s interesting that the AR HUD works, even if you have the Q4 at an adjustable speed. While the vehicle will keep itself in the middle of the lane, the HUD will still provide the necessary information to the driver. For example, if the Q4 sees that it is closer to a lane marker and the driver has not yet turned on the direction indicator, the vehicle will activate its lane departure warning system and place a true red line above the actual lane marker.
The HUD is not Audi’s only new technological toy. Like the GT, the Q4 is packed with modern displays, such as the standard 10.25-inch instrument cluster. It replaces the mechanical meters and knobs of yesteryear with a ‘power meter’ that summarizes all the relevant information the driver needs, from the vehicle’s delivery to the amount of charge left in the Q4’s 82 kWh battery pack. Drivers also choose a standard 10.1-inch MMI touchscreen infotainment screen (1,540 x 720) that handles most of the vehicle’s cabin features, or they can upgrade to an 11.6-inch version (1 644 x 824) which Audi offers. as its largest touchscreen to date. The larger exhibition is optional and is expected to be available by the end of the year.
Audi
Since fiddling with touchscreens while driving is a great way to put your car at the center of the highway, the Q4 e-tron offers voice control. Just say ‘Hey Audi’ to activate it and ask your question like any other driver. But no, unfortunately it has no Gray Poupon.