A lot of today’s cars are technologically advanced enough to have head-up displays come as standard features. Some premium cars like the BMW 7 Series even have gesture controls to complement these displays. But if your car isn’t new or isn’t technologically advanced enough to cater this system, they’re largely left to their own devices, literally and figuratively. Well then, owners of such cars may want to listen because tech company Navdy has just introduced a new head-up display device that allows these modern technological features to work on old cars.
The product itself is also called Navdy and it’s pretty much a small black box with a transparent panel that sits atop a car’s dashboard. It functions similarly to how today’s HUDs work in that it makes the information it displays hover in front of the driver’s line of sight, ensuring that it functions the same way these HUDs work by presenting all these information in such a way that the driver never has to move his eyes away from the road.
What makes Navdy unique is its compatibility to older cars or at least those that have OBD-II ports that are typically found in the vicinity of the steering wheel, usually just below it or on the side of the driver’s side window. All that needs to be done to make the equipment work is to plug it into the port. Once it’s powered up, it uploads information like speed, engine RPM, and fuel levels into the display. Extra features like navigation, music-player control, calling, and other notifications can also be accessed if the device is paired with a driver’s smartphone through Bluetooth. Once it’s working up to its full capacity, Navdy will also be able to display full-color maps for navigation and the entire music library found in the owner’s phone. Oh, and gesture controls. Navdy can also accommodate that feature.
Just as important are the built-in offline maps that have been pre-programmed into the system. These maps may sound trivial in an online world, but they still play important parts, especially when a car is in a place where cell signals are compromised. In situations like that, the device has you covered.
About the only downside to the Navdy HUD accessory is the cost that comes with owning one. Turns out, those who want this modern tech on their old cars will have to pay a premium to the tune of $799. On top of that, certain locations in the U.S., specifically New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, will require Navdy representatives to walk owners through the process of installing the device into their cars.
If price and location aren’t issues though, the device makes for a very appealing addition into a car. Setting up the device, at least according to the company, is relatively easy and the new-age benefits of having one in a dated car are too hard to ignore.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
from Top Speed http://ift.tt/2i5RBvi
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