Nippon Seiki’s head-up display technology provides glimpse of automotive future
Pioneer company in the HUD market expands operations to 11 countries including China
Navigating a dark and unfamiliar road, a driver suddenly feels a slight yet nagging vibration. He checks the car’s tyre pressure and discovers his right front tyre is significantly under-inflated. Looking up the nearest car shop on a map, he notes that he can reach it within five minutes, breathes a sigh of relief and carefully speeds away.
This may seem like an ordinary road scenario – if not for the driver not having to leave the vehicle or take his eyes off the road, thanks to his head-up display (HUD), which projects all the real-time information he needed right onto the windshield.
“More than turning science fiction into reality using optical technology, HUDs are now revolutionising the automotive landscape,” says Hirotoshi Takada, president and CEO of Nippon Seiki, a pioneer and worldwide leader in the HUD market.
Since introducing its first HUD in 1997, Nippon Seiki has seen HUDs evolving from displaying basic information to featuring night vision, voice recognition, gesture control and augmented reality. It envisions the product further elevating into internet-equipped “connected car” systems that are able to calculate the vehicle’s carbon dioxide emissions and warn the driver before a potential accident.
“Much like the automotive industry, which often takes cues from technological advances in related hi-tech industries such as aviation and defence, we follow the lead of carmakers – consulting and collaborating closely with them,” Takada says.
The company has expanded its manufacturing, research and development and sales operations to 11 countries including China, which is fuelling overseas business together with the rest of Asia. Nippon Seiki works closely with local automotive companies, including Dongfeng Honda, GAC Toyota, Geely and SAIC-GM, and looks forward to working with more.
“We have been successful for more than 60 years because we respect our customers’ requirements and demands,” Takada says. “We plan on surpassing our achievements by adding even more value to our offerings, in pursuit of safer roads and better lives.”
Beyond the vehicle industry, Nippon Seiki aims to serve wider industries by integrating its technologies and intelligent systems into new and existing applications. It foresees its displays being optimised, for instance, in factory automation and modern agriculture, where intelligent, real-time notification can increase safety, productivity and efficiency.
“Our expertise is built on being able to measure, sense, analyse, communicate and create valuable information out of invisible, unknown circumstances,” Takada says. “We aspire to bring such added value to further lengths, together with like-minded potential partners.”
http://www.nippon-seiki.co.jp
