Lexus is using holograms instead of screens in its newest concept SUV
Lexus has a wild vision for its cars of the future.
The Toyota subsidiary is unveiling its concept SUV, the UX, at the Paris Motor Show that kicks off October 1 - and it features an actual hologram globe. As Lexus writes in its press release, the UX is "showcasing Lexus' vision for a compact SUV of the future" with it representing a "new step in the company's design journey."
That's a long-winded way of saying you won't see these features in production cars anytime soon, but you could see some in future models.
We got our first glimpse of the car earlier in September when Lexus leaked a photo of its exterior. It was already apparent Lexus was looking to showcase more car tech by replacing the sideview mirrors with cameras.
Considering Japanese automakers got the OK in June to make and sell mirrorless cars, it's not surprising a Toyota subsidiary would hint at moving in a mirrorless direction through its concept vehicle.
Now Lexus is teasing a future where the driver's instrument could be replaced by an interactive hologram globe. The hologram globe would display "analog and digital information." The concept also includes a hologram-style display of the air conditioning and the infotainment system housed in its own case where the center console normally is.
There's also a separate infotainment display on the dashboard, but Lexus doesn't go into much detail about how it would be used. Underneath is a soundbar you can remove from the car to use as a portable, but fairly large, speaker.
You can also see a display to the left of the wheel that appears to be streaming what the sideview cameras are picking up.
Lexus describes the whole 3D display as "a functional yet unexpected user interface." It's a pretty cool, futuristic concept, despite being a fairly over-the-top design proposal.