Continental, HERE and Leia Inc Jointly Create Natural 3D Automotive Navigation

• 3D navigation shown on the automotive Lightfield display creates intuitive user experience and can contribute to driving safety
• Lightfield technology enables a natural 3D effect that is visible without glasses or eye tracking sensor for driver and passengers alike
• Premium 3D content for 75 global city centers in HERE’s Premier 3D Cities

Babenhausen, Germany, January 12, 2021. Continental, HERE and Leia Inc are partnering to bring three-dimensional navigation into display solutions for vehicle cockpits. By this, the companies are jointly providing an important component for a safe and intuitive in-vehicle user experience with a wow factor. HERE’s 3D depiction of buildings and topography is displayed with Leia’s Lightfield technology. The joint solution allows for the visualization of 3D maps without the need for adaptive eyewear or an eye-tracking sensor. The Lightfield technology even makes the 3D effect visible from various angles. Thus, driver and passengers alike can see the 3D graphics.

“3D display technology not only brings a new wow factor into the vehicle cockpit but with the right content, it also creates a more intuitive interaction between driver and vehicle and thus enhances driving safety,” says Ulrich Lüders, head of strategy and portfolio at Continental’s business unit Human Machine Interface. “As we see this especially for 3D navigation, I am very happy that we can contribute to a better UX and safer driving environment by bringing together HERE’s premium map content and Leia’s Lightfield software with our expertise in automotive human-machine interface solutions.”

Various studies on traffic safety show that driver distraction is among the main reasons for traffic crashes worldwide. In the U.S., distracted driving caused more than 2,800 fatalities in 2018, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. For Continental, therefore, it is critical to work toward intuitive UX solutions that provide drivers with the content and functions they are looking for and therefore support greater driving safety while minimizing distraction in the vehicle cockpit.

The content enabling this solution comes from HERE Premier 3D Cities, consisting of HERE’s premium map content and highly detailed 3D representations of 75 global city centers that are fully interactive and customizable. Each building is indexed and accurate in terms of physical location, volume, elevation and façade color. 3D terrain models also provide elevations for representative depictions of a city’s layout. Detailed 3D landmarks are included within the coverage of each city and are integrated into the 3D terrain, as well as the various styles of the surrounding buildings.