Windshield Advertisements: What You Need to Know
Advertisements are popping up everywhere these days. While seeing some advertisements on cars is not extremely new, there is a new place that you may begin seeing these advertisements that is new: windshields. Windshield technology has increased exponentially in recent years and now that they have figured out things like head-up technology from inside a vehicle, it is not going to be very long before we start to receive advertisements on the inside of our vehicles.
How Does the Technology Work?
There is still a lot of speculation around how this technology will actually manifest within the market but there is a good guess that is currently circulating. Just like all other advertising around today, there would not be a lot of advertising that is not geared toward the person or the situation. You will find that a lot of the advertising is actually catered to you as the driver as well as what may be happening with your car. For example, if you are driving and you are close to running out of gas, then you may see an advertisement pop up on the windshield for a nearby gas station or offers from a gas station in the area. Another example would be if your “Maintenance Required” light came on while you were driving. You would likely see advertisements pop up that are from a local repair or maintenance shop in the area.
The buying patterns would be understood by the technology in the windshield and the car and it may even be able to identify who is driving to cater those advertisements directly to them. There is some rumors of a technology that will allow drivers to pay for food while they are in their car from the windshield advertisement before they even reach their destination. To provide extra security, they may be looking at facial recognition software to ensure that the driver who is making the order is also the one that is authorized to pay with that card. This kind of technology is already in the works and may be integrated into the smart windshield technology to help to better identify who is actually driving the vehicle. They can then work on proving more targeted advertisements to the driver that will be more impactful since there is an understanding of their specific buying patterns.
When May it Hit the Market?
This kind of technology is likely to hit the market sooner than you think. In fact, there are some people within the industry that think that the technology may be available in some vehicle models in as little as two years. Right now, there are already a few things that companies are working on that could easily be expanded to this windshield technology that is being described and is expected within the market. For example, Corning, Inc. is already selling the glass that was used in Apple iPhones to automakers. This glass is planned to be used for windshields as well as entertainment systems within vehicles. Because of how the glass is made, it is thinner and more durable than the typical glass that would be used in your standard windshield today. This is beneficial to the potential technology because the thinness and durability of the glass allows for an image to be projected onto it that is much sharper than your typical windshield glass.
Right now, this technology is only 10 inches wide which is why it is not fully ready for the market as the windshield technology that we are describing. However, Corning is already planning and working on expanding the technology to be a full size windshield display which will make the technology ready for market. According to the Chief Technology Officer for Corning, they plan on having this larger windshield size technology available in less than 2 years. Once it is made available, it will then be available for purchase for these automakers and we will start to see the technology in the most recent models. In addition to expanding the current technology, which is being used already for head-up displays for vehicles, there are other technologies that are being worked on to be more active for the new suite of services that come with it.
What Are the Safety Concerns?
While this technology will bring with it some cool new innovations and abilities within vehicles, there is still a question of concern as it pertains to safety. At the core of this discussion is some conversation revolving around driver distraction. There are already a lot of distractions on the road and we want to be able to lessen these distractions, not add to them. So the question remains, will this be an added distraction to drivers or will it be something that enhances the driving experience without adding an element of harm? The current technology in the market is being used as a safety tool, believe it or not. For example, if there is a car in the blindspot of a vehicle with heads up technology, the speed and location of the vehicle is displayed on the windshield. While this is definitely beneficial to drivers and adds some safety to driving, advertisements likely will not add the same amount of benefit.
However, there is an argument that being able to see these advertisements in the windshield is a lot safer than a driver taking their eyes off the road to glance down at their phones or the infotainment system in order to see the next road they need to take, for example. In addition to having the technology available in front of them on the windshield, there is also some research that says that people can understand and take in information more quickly in an augmented reality format than on a smartphone or on paper. This is important information to notate when taking a look at the safety concerns of the windshield display. However, no matter what, in order to prevent adding another distraction to drivers, only a small portion of the windshield should be used to provide information or advertisements to the driver so they can keep their eyes on the road.
There is still a lot left up in the air when it comes to the potential uses of windshield technology. Only time will tell how it will actually play out but it is good to know what the potential is so that you can mentally prepare. If this technology does transpire, we will be here to help you with all of your windshield repair needs, whether they feature the new technology or not. Contact us today to learn more about our services – (610) 436-9727 – for all of your auto glass needs near West Chester, PA.
Tags: auto glass technology
