The augmented-reality project for vehicles developed by José Alejandro Betancur Ramírez, a product design engineer and physics engineer at EAFIT, is a hologram on the vehicle's windshield with information about the speed, fuel level, collision warning, and any other data necessary to help the driver to be attentive to what is happening outside the vehicle without losing concentration.
"My project involves the analysis of technologies to support driving, enabling the driver to remain aware of everything that happens around him. This is an interesting issue, considering that part of the driver's perception of the outside world is lost from being inside the car", says the engineer who is currently in Italy.
José Alejandro uses Head-Up Display (HUD) devices to achieve this type of hologram that is projected on the driver's field of vision. He has been working on that technology since 2009 and progress has been made for the HUD device to be functional, although "finding the way to meet the demands of the market for the HUD in a cost-effective manner is always a problem in these kinds of projects ", as stated by EAFIT’s engineer.
This cost-effective issue requires further research in order to achieve the proposed objectives at low cost, but "the results obtained are enough to structure an application for the HUD technology", says José Alejandro.
These objectives are already bearing fruit since the initiative won third place in the Desafío Renault Experience 2014 (DRE) in Colombia, which awarded prizes on january 23rd and gives recognition to the best projects with contributions to the automotive industry.
"The DRE helped me contextualize my project within the conditions proposed by the colombian automotive industry, which is essential to move from theory into practice. More than just a competition, it is an opportunity to know the point of view of highly qualified people in relation to automotive issues", as claimed by the engineer, who also graduated from the master's program in engineering at EAFIT in december of 2014.
He received the news about his DRE award when he was in Italy doing his internship and master's dissertation at the FIAT Chrysler Center for Research as a group member of the Vehicle Dynamics Performance Development & Evaluation research group. José Alejandro is currently working on the HUD project in the Vehicle Research & Technologies Department.
José Alejandro has conducted his research in Colombia with the Design Engineering Research Group (GRID, as it stands for in Spanish) at EAFIT under the supervision of Professor Gilberto Osorio Gómez, lecturer of the School of Product Design Engineering at the institution.
In the professor's opinion, this project is "the proposal for an economically viable HUD system for mid-range vehicles, not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of its interaction with the user and the environment. It is an innovative idea that might be easily validated and replicated. In addition, it could add a distinctive aspect to the vehicle manufacturer interested in adopting it".
With respect to the implementation of the project, Professor Osorio considers that a technical and economic feasibility has already been identified that bodes well for its future. "However, there is need for a partner from the automotive sector willing to participate in the research as a sponsor and as a decision-maker in the development of the project. Once these conditions have been met, we could have the first prototypes ready within a one-year timeframe".
Further details for journalists:
Alejandro Gomez Valencia
Journalist from the Information and Press Department at EAFIT
Telephone number: 2619500 Ext. 9931
Email: jgomez97@eafit.edu.co