Exploring the ad hoc network requirements of an automotive Head-Up Display Interface

Windshield Head-Up Displays (HUDs) have become a focal point of research in the automotive industry, bearing the promise of augmenting spatial awareness and reducing the driver's reaction time. Such systems would require the deployment of sensory equipment on the vehicle itself as well as inter-vehicle communication facilities to enable a bird's-eye view of road traffic conditions. Since the proposed communications system would have to be decentralised and spontaneous in nature, a mobile ad-hoc network (MANETs) intuitively fits the specification. This paper presents an enquiry, through simulation, into the networking requirements of implementing such a Head-Up Display system using off-the-shelf, 802.11 wireless components. The particular HUD configuration is one we have developed and evaluated through live trials, using scenarios mirrored in the traffic simulations undertaken in this study. Initial results
indicate that our HUD system may function efficiently as long as the overhead associated with route maintenance functions is kept low and the routing protocol is tweaked appropriately to provide rapid notication of link updates.