Testing of a smartphone HUD

[Mister MMT]

As reported in another topic, I'm using a lot hte Hybrid Assistant App on y smartphone, positioned by a Brodit Clip on the side of the instrument panel.

Recently, an HUD function has become available for this App. To test it, one needs a device, which can project the image of the smartphone’s screen on a reflector attached either to the windshield or as part of a HUD unit with an adjustable smartphone mount.

I share with you the first results of my testing in this newly created topic, knowing that smartphones are also used a lot for navigation, other Apps like Torque Pro, and some Ford specific Apps as well.

For my first tests, I have ordered a cheap and simple smartphone HUD display, which at least looked acceptable on their Website, although with mixed customer reviews. I received it after a 1-month wait.

Pictures of the packaging and the contents:

It was easy to mount the HUD unit onto a suitable position of the dashboard: as far back as possible.

As expected, the reflector is quite dark, but since it is slightly below the driver's line of sight, this is irrelevant.

The HA screen is reflected clearly and very legible, at least in the grey weather of the last winterly days. For example, this is close to how I see it:

But: Although it reflects the smartphone very well on the adjustable, semi-transparent organic glass cradle, there is an additional reflection above the screen in the glass of the windshield. If this is already disturbing in daylight, it becomes an absolute no-go at night.

This image taken from a different angle shows it well.

This is a pity because it is very pleasant and safer to to have the Hybrid Assistant’s nice looking user interface and the the traffic almost simultaneously in the driver's line of sight.

As said, on the way back at dusk, the reflection was even more disturbing. Repositioning the HUD display closer to me moved this reflection outside of y line of sight. It is still visible at the top of this picture. By lowering the sunshade during night driving, I do not see it any longer.

However, this is less convenient, because the display is now slightly higher, and above all closer. My multifocal lenses help, but it is no longer possible to look at the time at the traffic and the HUD.

I will continue testing under different weather conditions, in particular bright daylight.

It also remains uncertain how well the display will stay stable, the pivot ball is not very tight and it will be interesting to see whether it will move during driving. So far, it does not. The smartphone did not slide to any extent in curves as well.

Is it really an improvement in comparison with the smartphone being held in a Brodit clip put on the right of the instrument panel I had until now? I believe so, since it simply seems safer and more pleasant to have the information in the driver’s line of sight. My direct comparison has now proved this. Now everything is bundled in the same line of sight and one needs less time to look from the road to the HUD and back. I also look a lot less often on the speedometer and the other screens next to it.

I wish to say that it is not my purpose to advocate this type of HUD as a must have. For example, one should be aware that in case of a collision, the smartphone may become a potentially harmful projectile!

Jan

[Mister MMT]

See here the result with the reflecting sheet attached to the windshield. It is rather unconvincing, confirming other negative opinions read on the web.

Positive it all began well, because of the orientable smartphone support, it was possible to project the screen horizontally and almost without deformation. Removing the HUD left behind some sticking residue, but now it is back there...

If this solution would have been the good one, the reflecting screen of the HUD device would of course have been cut away.

Negative: In spite of cloudy and relatively dark conditions, and the phone set on max intensity, the HUD image was considerably less contrasted. It would be quite OK at night, but too weak during sunny days.

Negative: Seen from the outside, the sheet is strongly reflecting. No-Go Nr 1.

Negative: The sheet is not transparent enough and right in the line of sight. No-go Nr 2

Negative: The projected image is also not transparent. One will always see the darkness of the screen. No-go Nr 3

This also applies to the HUD device. So, no need to try and render the GUI of HA transparent ! Is that right?

A new trip to Strasbourg and back comforted my opinion that it is preferable to have HA in the line of sight, just below the view on the road and traffic.

A black smartphone would be better, since the white is reflecting too strongly..

Other solution: a phone holder clip attached to the upper part of the dashboard, mounted directly in the line of sight and matched in distance with the dashboard instruments to reduce the eye refocusing. It should not put the phone higher then the HUD unit tested here.

One would, however miss the charm of a HUD

Jan ;)

Edited December 21, 2017 by Mister MMT

[Mister MMT]

That's what I finally retained. Thanks to the HA blog, I found and bought the Stealth smartphone cradle from Spigen,

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after trying another, from Pearl,

which turned out not stable enough. This amount was very nice, but the phone moved and vibrated too much, the material being very flexible.

With a black battery cover to hide its white cover,

my Note 2 is now very discrete seen from the outside.

It is now the dedicated HA display, and the LG G6 64 Gb I just bought serves as my mobile phone and my camera for taking simple pictures. The wide-angle lens used for the first picture is very useful. Pretty much, it shows what I see, although the camera is in fact sitting a bit lower, and does not hamper the visibility towards the road.

With this cradle, the display of the Note 2 is placed more vertically, and the reflections in the windshield are lower in intensity and placed higher up. The phone is very secure, and the risk that it becomes a dangerous object in an accident is smaller. It does not vibrate and move at all. It's perfect for me.

Having adjusted the driving position correctly as shown in this diagram, (in fact it was), the display does not disturb the view on the road. Those who prefer a low seat may not be happy with this cradle.

Those tempted to trying out will need to check if the phone can be placed correctly in their particular model. With the Mondeo, the relative flatness of the lid of the instrumentation is a plus.

HA now replaces, so to speak, the instrument panel visible only through the steering wheel, requiring the eyes to leave the road for relatively long time. If wanted, one could also use the smartphone as a browser.

Directly in line of sight, with HA in can know in the blink of an eye:

• The actual digital speed. [/ B]> It's nice to know it without having to correct for the optimism of the analogous speedometer. [/ I]
• Cooling water temperature [/ B]> Used during the warm-up phase, it is very useful. As long as the tp is <40 °C I go very slowly, and I do not put the heating. [/ I]
• Side by side are the rpm and the in and out power of the traction battery. [/ B]> It is useful to see the powers delivered in kW. As long as the out power does not exceed 19 kW, the thermal remains at a standstill. [/ I]
• The Battery power display also helps to get better glides when one practices the pulse & glide. [/ B]> the cyan bars up = discharge; green down = load should be as short as possible. [/ I]
• The SOC in %. [/ B]> One can decide from which value, one starts the fuel engine. [/ I]
  [/ LIST]
  In addition, clicking on "EV" gives the detailed consumption graph. Not indispensable but good to take.
  
  
  
  One can, but must not, use this combined information to make the most of the hybrid system. This is my personal choice, and I do not want to convince anyone to do the same.
  
  But I sincerely believe that in this way, one can take full advantage of HA.
  
  Jan

[Mister MMT]

The problem with all these cradles mounted on the dashboard is the reflection on the windshield when driving at night and the glare in direct sunlight.

Therefore, I bought this Sun Shade & Night Anti Reflection Visor for a Tom Tom GPS and adapted it to my Note 2 and the Spigen cradle. I had to cut the bar at the bottom to fit the base of the cradle and cut away the cover at the top in order to fit the clamp on the smartphone.

I also glued (using super-glue) a wooden wedge to the base of the cradle, to make it tilt forward.

The mount became too high for it to stay positioned in front of me and I had to move it a bit to the right and towards the windshield.

There is no refection anymore at night

and the display stays visible in direct sunlight. The mount is very table and can be released from the cradle without effort. It is also very discrete and almost invisible seen from the outside.

Jan

Edited January 26, 2018 by Mister MMT