Porsche Eyes State-of-the-Art Navigation Technology

Porsche has invested big money in Swiss Augmented Reality start-up WayRay.

If you have ever driven a Porsche in a video game series like Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo, you are likely familiar with the elaborate heads-up display that is common across all video games. The folks at the Zurich-based start-up firm WayRay are looking to bring that intricate heads-up system to the real world with their unique component system and based on their $80-miilion dollar investment, Porsche wants in on that technology.

“The team at WayRay has unique technical expertise, with its employees having backgrounds in aerospace, hardware and software development. WayRay’s innovative ideas and products have proven to have enormous potential. We are convinced that by joining forces with WayRay we will in future be able to offer our customers solutions to the usual standard expected of Porsche. That is why we have opted to make a strategic investment”, says Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT at Porsche.

WayRay Heads-Up

WayRay has worked to develop a heads-up navigation system that is unique in how it works and is installed in the vehicle. Unlike most heads-up systems that come from the factory, WayRay has developed a component system that can be moved from vehicle to vehicle, so someone who has multiple vehicles would only need to buy one of them.

More significantly, the WayRay heads-up navigation system works by using holographic Augmented Reality. As the images and videos here show, this system projects all sorts of information on the windshield, ranging from basic vehicle information such as speed, the gear selected and engine RPM to elaborate navigation information that applies to both the street and the track.

Street and Track Technology

On the street, the WayRay system makes it look like the navigation arrows are actually on the road, making it easier to figure out where to turn in tough traffic systems, but that is just the beginning. WayRay has also developed an application for the track that includes a track map, timing information, vehicle telemetry and a best-line. You can even include a “ghost car” showing a previous lap, allowing the driver to race with a car that isn’t actually there.

It looks like video game technology, but it is real and Porsche has invested big money in the future of holographic Augmented Reality navigation technology. Imagine climbing into your 911 and setting the Augmented Reality navigation system to guide you to the local road course race track. Once you are there, you can switch to the track settings, where the same navigation system will guide you around the track while keeping track of your lap times.

“As a deep-tech company, we are committed to creating fundamental innovations that bring us far beyond holographic Augmented Reality displays and new interfaces. A growing number of projects with carmakers and strong investors like Porsche are fueling the company’s growth and boosting our confidence in implementing complex innovations”, says Vitaly Ponomarev, Founder and CEO of WayRay.

With any luck, the images and videos shown here represent the real-world use of this technology and if that is the case, we could see something like this in Porsche vehicles very soon. In the meantime, check out the WayRay videos below, showcasing the function of their unique technology.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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