Tuesday 10th May 2011

Pioneer Unveils 'Augmented Reality' Sat-Nav

Navigation for those who find real life just too dull...

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As catchy model designations go, the new Pioneer AVIC-VH09CS does not score highly, but it is a pretty special sat-nav, because it is the first 'augmented reality' system to go on sale.

This 'Scouter Mode' uses a windscreen camera that wirelessly streams video to the seven-inch LCD head unit, and layers the navigation information over the real-time image. So far, so clever.

But what's really trick is that the system can highlight in real time the movements of other cars, the layout of lanes on the road, and it can even tell you whether or not the traffic light up ahead is green (before you would be able to discern that for yourself, we mean).

You can alsio 'augment' reality in other ways, such as superimposing an image of a supercar over the vehicle in front of you and, less whimsically and more practically, highlighting your destination with an easy-to-recognise 3D icon.

We can't decide whether this is more like Tron, or the view that Arnie sees in Terminator 2. Either way we think it's quite cool, if a little bit weird and scary.

If you fancy trying it you might just have to move to Japan, though, as it's only available there for now. And have £2250 (300,000 yen) to spend on a sat-nav system.

If your Japanese is good enough (or you have Google Chrome) you can check out Pioneer's press release here.

[Stew2000]

Be good if you could program ANPR so you can spot pistonheads people more easily

[V8 GRF]

Love the blue 'target' on the bottom screen. Fabulous for getting the 'missile lock' on that car that just won't shift from the middle lane

[Hellbound]

Stew2000 said:

Be good if you could program ANPR so you can spot pistonheads people more easily

That coupled with a massive head up wind screen display and you could have something amazing.

And then.....you could like...have apps and mini games...so like, if you're following another PHer...you could be shooting each other on the HUD over mobile internet...kinda like in Star Wars...and and and....then you'd make them crash. Now THAT would be CoooL, I think.

[jp-speed-triple]

"where possible....make a U turn."

isn't that screen just about impossible to look at quickly adn get any info from? Surely it needs to be HUD....then they have something.

[Hellbound]

V8 GRF said:

Love the blue 'target' on the bottom screen. Fabulous for getting the 'missile lock' on that car that just won't shift from the middle lane

Can you imagine, you're all off out on a family trip to the lakes for the day...when...after an hour into the journey up the M4...all of a sudden... >>>WARNING...WARNING...WEAPONS LOCK DETECTED<<<

"Hang on kids...this may get a little bumpy. Deploy chaff....DEPLOY CHAFF DAMMIT....CURSE THIS INFERNAL KIA!"

[RemainAllHoof]

Hellbound said:

Can you imagine, you're all off out on a family trip to the lakes for the day...when...after an hour into the journey up the M4...all of a sudden... >>>WARNING...WARNING...WEAPONS LOCK DETECTED<<<

"Hang on kids...this may get a little bumpy. Deploy chaff....DEPLOY CHAFF DAMMIT....DAMN THIS INFERNAL KIA!"

And in a future edition of Police Stop! you'll see a Kia swerving all over the motorway trying to out-dodge a missile.

[ExPat2B]

This is the future. Anyone with half a brain can see about a million ways this could be useful. Augmented reality is the next killer app.

Just wait until its a full screen heads up display.

[f111lover]

I've used Pioneer sat-navs for years, they are the doggies doo-dahs. Looks like I'm going to have to start saving again.

[amare32]

Waiting for the inevitable Faecesbook and Tw@tter windscreen app...

[Dagnut]

amare32 said:

Waiting for the inevitable Faecesbook and Tw@tter windscreen app...

Yeah a pop every time you drive by a hotel or a Mc Donalds...

[Jonathan Legard]

I skimmed that as "Scouser Mode". Expected the system to veer wildly between extremes of overfamiliarity and lachrymosity.

[thejudderman]

Although expensive, it's pretty good value when compared to a lot of factory fit sat nav systems.

Definately the future of navigation.

[JoeFrost]

This is seriously cool, when it gets to the fighter pilot head up display stage I will without doubt regress to a schoolboy every time I drive

[Jonathan Legard]

It can even guide you to Max Mosley's Japanese sex bunker (bottom right image).

[KrissJ]

This may be the most sophisticated and reliable augmented sat nav system but it's certainly not the first. It shouldbe the best though as the two I have were free. As sat nav systems go, augmented reality is the perfect format. Like a few have already said, if it could be projected as a HUD then it'd be incredible. Then it'd be like the route is overlaying what you're actually seeing out of the windscreen whilst you drive.

[Lord Flathead]

thejudderman said:

Although expensive, it's pretty good value when compared to a lot of factory fit sat nav systems.

Definately the future of navigation.

You just said what I thought

These will be standard in-car in a few years. Pretty soon you will be able to connect to the IP address of the car then stream live video of your wife going to meet her lover without you knowing

[SpunkyM]

Might as well just spray the windscreen black and use this to drive around.

[will261058]

Alternatively you could just look out the windscreen. If a traffic light is so far away that you cant make it out why do you need to know what colour it is, it will probably have changed by the time you reach it anyway.

[soad]

That's cool, can't wait for the HUD version to be available. Definitively a starting point at present, but it'll improve before long.

[GAjon]

Not as good as the new Ann Summers model to help blokes find the G spot!

The tt nav.