When it comes to head-up displays, most people's description goes something like this:

Tom: "It puts stuff in the distance."
My Landlord: "Isn't that what pilots use?"
Kelsey: "Uh what?"
Well, this is what a head-up display, or in layman's terms, a HUD, looks like.

Source: Thorlabs

So what is an optically collimated image?

The best (technical) description of an optically collimated image comes from Edmund Optics,
a company [with nearly a centuries worth of experience in collimation and optically collimated images](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collimator).


"A collimator is a device that narrows a beam of particles or waves. To narrow can mean either to cause the directions of motion to become more aligned in a specific direction (i.e., make collimated light or parallel rays), or to cause the spatial cross section of the beam to become smaller (beam limiting device)."

In short, a collimated image is one that has been displayed through a collimating lens (the same type thing that glasses that we wear on our faces use) to appear differently than it does originally. What it does is take an image displayed from a smaller lens, and project it through a curved and custom tempered (collimated) lens that then displays the image larger and projects it at a certain focal length in the distance.

When it comes to HUDs, an image is projected that the collimated lens then picks up, magnifies, and then displays it so that it looks like it is being projected out into the distance.

Why is this important for head-up displays?

It's so important for the image to be collimated when it comes to head-up displays because you wouldn't want to have to look immediately down and refocus on something that is close to your line of sight. Next time you're in your car, look directly at the windshield in front of you, focusing only on the windshield and the imaginary image displayed on it. How well can you focus on other things in the distance? The answer, unless you're Clark Kent, should be that it's near impossible to focus on anything else. Now look out towards the center of your hood. It should be much, much easier to focus on things around you and what's happening.

This is why it's important for a HUD to be optically collimated, because you want to see an image as if it were projected into the distance and not directly on top of your windshield and so, your line of sight.

This video does a great job showing off an aftermarket head-up display that does a fantastic job of pushing an image out into the distance.

If you aren't completely sold yet on the idea of a HUD, this article from @jakegully12 talks about how having an aftermarket HUD in his 2010 Mustang GT enriched his driving experience

If you want to see a fascinating video on determining focal length with collimated lenses, check this video out.

Hudly owner @jakegully12 may not be the conventional Hudly owner, but he sure is an enthusiastic one. I sat down with Jake for a quick question and answer about how an aftermarket head-up display revolutionized his driving experience in 2017.

Q&A:

Question: What would you say your favorite thing about your Hudly head-up display is?

Jake: Definitely how it looks and what it does. I have people at drive-through windows and car shows asking me constantly about what it is. It just looks so sleek when you see it that people are naturally curious. I like to show off (hence the black Mustang GT) and Hudly does half the work for me.

Corbin: You also mentioned you liked what it does, care to elaborate on that?

Jake: Yeah, of course! I like what it does in the sense that it gives me so much versatility while I drive. Ya know? It’s like I’m driving in a much more advanced car and everything I want and need is on my windshield now.

Question: What do you think of when you hear the words ‘augmented reality’?

Jake: I think of my reality being augmented. Wait, I just redefined the question. Uhh, let me try again. I think of my environment changing with things that aren’t necessarily there but are definitely real. So, like my phone. It’s real, it’s there, but when it’s projecting through Hudly, that image is not really there it’s on the head-up display so it is there but it’s not actually. It’s augmented reality.

Corbin: Good summation, really. Would you say that Hudly does a good job of providing an aftermarket head-up display augmented reality solution?

Jake: Oh yeah man, this thing is great. I had my doubts when I first saw it, I mean, who doesn’t? It was on Kickstarter / Indiegogo and it’s already so hard to trust products from there. But when I got it and installed it I knew after about 10 seconds of using it that it was great.

Corbin: Thanks, Jake! Now it would be cool if you told the readers back home what your favorite apps you’re using with Hudly right now are and how you’re utilizing them.

Jake’s favorite apps:

1. Netflix – “I know that it might seem weird that this is my favorite app to use with my Hudly, but there’s no better feeling than watching a show while you’re driving and not having to look away from the road. Everyone has that, ‘oh I shouldn’t be doing this, watching this show and looking down at my phone all the time,’ feeling and now I don’t have to.”
2. Waze – " This one seems like it’s pretty typical. I haven’t really dived into Hudly-specific apps yet because I have a few like Netflix and Waze that I just really like to use. Waze is cool because I see cops coming up while I’m driving and it makes life a lot easier."

Question: Would you recommend Hudly?

" Everyone should at least check out the Hudly. It may not be for everyone, I don’t know. I just know that it hit the nail on the head with me and now even my friends who have bought one, too. I could definitely see it helping out people like Uber and Lyft drivers, though. I had a friend who drove for them and he was always complaining about his phone GPS mounting locations. So, yeah, I would recommend it to anyone who asks."

Thanks for interviewing with us, Jake, and thank you for being a member of the Hudly community! We strive to offer the best aftermarket HUD in the industry and thanks to our amazing community, we’re improving every day.

If you’d like to be a featured member of the Hudly community, please email corbin@gethudly.com for instructions. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @gethudly and use #drivingwithhudly to share your adventures!

It’s almost Christmas and in about two weeks we’ll be getting Hudly into our warehouses. We can’t wait to see how customers will use the heads-up display and we wanted to show you some of our favorite apps.

1) Android Auto

Android Auto is Google’s driving assistant which uses a simplified interface and can be controlled by voice commands. Android Auto conveniently launches when connected to your car’s bluetooth. From the home screen of Android Auto it automatically brings up places you may be heading or directions to your next appointment. Just tap the icon and you can start driving with your direction displayed on Hudly’s heads-up display. Using Android Auto’s voice commands with Hudly really help minimize distractions so you can stay focused one the road.

2) Sygic

If you haven’t heard of Sygic, you are probably at least familiar with it from our videos. Sygic’s maps are provided by TomTom and you can navigate them offline. This means that if you don’t have a cellular connection, you’ll still be able to find your destination. Our favorite feature is the heads-up display mode which only shows the information you need like your speed, the speed limit of the road you’re on, navigational arrows and distances. With your navigation up in your line of sight, you won’t need to take your eyes off of the road.

3) Navier

The Navier navigation app has really great HUD graphics that are customization. You choose the information most important to you to display on your Hudly heads-up display. The above animated gif is our preferred custom layout. It has a 3D map, a large speedometer which turns red if we’re speeding and it displays the street name. You can customize your own panels with a compass, clock and more. Navier looks really high tech on Hudly

4) DigiHUD

DigiHUD is a GPS speedometer which displays your speed in digital format. It is easy to read and you can even set warning speeds which will change the color for quick recognition. You can also display the time, trip distance, max speed (careful now!), and average speed. A simple but elegant and clear application.

5) Torque

Auto enthusiasts will love the use of Torque’s gauges on Hudly. Instead of large physical gauges, you’ll have a seamless heads-up display of all your car performance stats like HP & Torque, 0-60mph timing, and more. The layouts are customizable so you can display whatever stats are most important to you.</span>