Mitsubishi Electric Corp. has developed a prototype car display system with an optical engine that can project images on curve, oval or triangular screens to suit a wide range of car interiors.
The system’s free-form screen responds flexibly to the increasing use of curves and other design features in car interiors. At the same time, its visibility helps to promote driving safety, the company claims. The system incorporates display technologies that Mitsubishi Electric fostered through its development of rear-projection TVs as well as car electronics that withstand severe operating conditions.
Mitsubishi Electric’s original curve-variable optical system projects images on screens of various shapes to minimize blur in screen areas with deep curves. The prototype system’s single optical engine adapts to a wide range of surfaces. When compared to conventional displays, the Mitsubishi flexible screen do not require a designated optical engine designed for a screen’s specific curves or shape.
According to the company, the screen can project distortion-free images on a curved, oval or triangular surfaces through a screen distortion adjustment process that predicts the distortion of images caused by complex curves, and adjusts visual signal input.
Mitsubishi Electric also developed a hybrid cooler that combines systems for radiation and natural and forced-air cooling. In addition, the overall structure minimizes distortion of the optical engine and chassis due to vibration or shock while driving, ensuring that images remain crisp and clear, the company said.
The display also incorporates a plastic screen that absorbs light to maintain excellent visibility in bright environments.
The display system incorporates red, green and blue LEDs for its light source to achieve a colour gamut 1.5-times wider than conventional displays that use white LED backlights. In addition, a light sensor separately controls light emissions from the different LEDs, each having its own temperature characteristics, and maintains colour balance to stabilize colour reproduction in a wide range of temperatures.