Alibaba wants to replace car navigation with AR

You won’t need to depend on the navigation anymore because the AR-powered Head-Up Display (HUD) of the car will show you holographic display directions to get to your destination. This will be powered by WayRay, a Swiss developer of a holographic augmented reality technology for internet-connected cars, freshly invested by China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Topping up to its effort made in connected cars in the recent years, Alibaba Group has invested US$ 18 million in WayRay’s series B along with its existing investors, announced on March 14th. With the funding, the Swiss company has entered into a partnership with Banma Technologies to develop a new AR car infotainment system which capable of delivering contextually relevant information to drivers and engaging entertainment for passengers.

“WayRay’s making the windscreen a new medium for information. The futuristic in-car infotainment system is the first to use color holographic technology (they were previously only green). Furthermore, the system provides a smart driving assistant that collects your driving stats and patterns, offering up a gamified system of rewards,” said Mary Lapuk, head of communications at WayRay’s R&D base in Russia told TechNode.

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