Car instrumentation: finally a good use for 3D tech?

At CES 2012, Johnson Controls showed off an LCD-based instrument cluster, using 3D to simplify the information.

That may sound counterintuitive, but the display manages to fit a lot of information into a small space. A speedometer ring dominates the display, with auxiliary information shown around the outside. Depending on the importance of that information, it may appear on top of the speedometer or below it.

The 3D instrument cluster can highlight really critical information at the centre of the speedometer ring. In the demonstration rig, the display showed what would happen if the car was closing in on another car fast. A distance read-out and a representation of the car ahead gained prominence in the centre of the display as the cars got closer.

Given the quality of the demonstration unit, it looks like this type of display is viable today, and it would just take an automaker to want to incorporate it into a new model.

Via CNET