Pioneer Unveils 'Augmented Reality' Sat-Nav
Navigation for those who find real life just too dull...
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.
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.
"Hang on kids...this may get a little bumpy. Deploy chaff....DEPLOY CHAFF DAMMIT....CURSE THIS INFERNAL KIA!"
"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.
Definately the future of navigation.
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
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