Forvia Hella develops mirrorless 3D AR head-up display
Ronja Schmiedchen and Benjamin MüllerRonjaSchmiedchen and Benjamin Müller
2 min
The 3D AR head-up display is designed to embed virtual driving information spatially into the real-world view.Forvia Hella
Head-up displays are moving from flat graphics towards spatial interfaces, while packaging remains a key constraint. Forvia Hella and Distance Technologies are developing a mirrorless 3D AR display that places navigation and driving cues into the real-world view with less cockpit installation space.
Forvia Hella and Finnish start-up Distance Technologies are jointly developing a mirrorless 3D augmented-reality head-up display for vehicles. The partnership is backed by an investment from the supplier’s venture arm, Hella Ventures, although the size of the stake has not been disclosed. The concept will project three-dimensional content directly into the driver’s field of view, with virtual information spatially aligned to the road environment.
Planned applications include navigation, lane guidance and hazard warnings. Unlike conventional HUDs, which typically rely on mirrors, the new system is intended to operate without integrated mirrors. Forvia Hella says this can significantly reduce the installation space required, which could help OEMs as head-up displays become more tightly integrated into increasingly crowded cockpits.
The 3D AR content is intended to remain software-configurable. Forvia Hella says functions and visual layouts could be changed after launch through software updates. Alongside driving information, the virtual display surface could support entertainment and video-based communication. According to the companies, such applications could also be available to the driver in highly automated driving situations, as the cockpit increasingly becomes a software-driven experience space.
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The depth projection is designed to make virtual cues appear at defined positions in the real environment rather than as flat graphics on the windscreen. Navigation instructions could, for example, appear directly on the relevant lane or at an exit. This moves the concept beyond conventional HUDs, where information is generally presented as a two-dimensional overlay, and towards augmented-reality overlays placed directly in the driver’s field of view.
Forvia Hella contributes its experience in vehicle electronics, lighting and optical systems, together with development and industrialisation expertise for series applications. Distance Technologies brings computational optics, three-dimensional light-field technology and embedded-software know-how. Its display technology is designed to place digital information spatially into the user’s field of view. The planned automotive system will rely in particular on Distance Technologies’ 3D light-field approach.
When could the system reach series production?
Both companies are developing the system with eventual series use in mind. Distance Technologies CEO and co-founder Urho Konttori says the partners are working to bring a new generation of AR head-up displays into series production. They have not yet disclosed a timetable for a potential production launch.
How Forvia positions digital technologies and IT at group level will also be a topic at the automotiveIT Kongress 2026. Raphaël Viard, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital & Information Officer at Forvia, will outline the automotive supplier’s IT strategy on 14 October 2026 at 9:35 am.
Viard is responsible for the group’s global digital transformation and technology strategy. His presentation will therefore complement the technology-focused perspective of projects such as the 3D AR head-up display with a broader view of Forvia’s overall digital direction.
