WayRay offers holographic navigation system for cars

Swiss startup WayRay has introduced an augmented reality navigation system that projects holographic GPS imagery and driver notifications onto the windshield of a car.

Navion, billed as the “first-ever holographic navigation system for cars,” is placed on a car’s dashboard and projects a virtual route into the regular focal range of the driver. The driver sees the navigation signs laid out directly on the road ahead of the moving vehicle, while the driver’s eyes are safely focused on the road at all times. “We call this concept natural navigation, and we believe it will change the way we drive,” WayRay said in a press release.

In contrast to other augmented reality devices currently on the market, no additional eyewear or headgear is needed to see the image. Navion’s interface provides the driver with clear route indicators even in bright sunlight, the company said.

Navion responds to simple hand gestures and voice control. Certain features are available for use only when the car is stopped or moving at a very low speed.

WayRay is a Swiss-based innovator working with augmented reality technology to develop holographic navigation systems and advance the connected car. The WayRay story goes back to 2012, when Founder and CEO Vitaly Ponomarev had an unexpected experience.

“I was living in Moscow at the time, and I was driving at a low speed while also trying to adjust my brand-new GPS,” Ponomarev said. “My attention got distracted just for an instant and I had my first-ever car accident. The accident had a profound effect on me and I began to think about how the windshield is the perfect place to start when it comes to improving car safety. That began this remarkable journey and inspired the creation of WayRay.”

In its two years of development, the company has emerged as a premier developer in connected cars by applying aerospace technology to land navigation — the principles behind its two key products.

The company first developed the WayRay Element, a smart car tracker that collects data from the car and transforms it into statistics about the driver. Element works in conjunction with the WayRay Navion. Both products are to be released in 2016.

“I think WayRay is the step between where we are now and the future self-driving car that is connected to a city’s infrastructure,” Ponomarev said.

WayRay is headquartered in Switzerland with offices in Moscow and San Francisco.