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Tuesday 5 November 2013

The free iPhone app that turns your entire WINDSCREEN into a sat-nav device - and claims to make driving safer

Hudway

Sat-navs are great for navigating unfamiliar cities and wildernesses, but it can be difficult for drivers to focus on the road when they are trying to read directions on a sat-nav device at the same time.
Now, however, an iPhone app claims to make using a GPS device safer while driving.
The program uses a smartphone as a projection device to beam the projections from its app onto a car's windscreen so that drivers no longer have to look down while they drive.

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The Hudway app
The Hudway app beams driving directions onto a car's windscreen using just an iPhone. It also shows the next upcoming sharp turn and the car's speed, in a bid to make driving in severe weather conditions and at night, safer, as driver so not have to look down at a sat-nav

HOW THE  HUDWAY APP WORKS

The app uses Google Maps for its location information.
Once the free app is downloaded, iPhone users can make a route on a map, which the app pre-loads so the map can be used without an internet connection.
The iPhone is placed on a car's dashboard and secured
The app beams driving directions, a car's speed and turning alerts onto the car's windscreen, which refelects the driving directions off the glass.
This means the driver does not need to look down while he or she is in control of the vehicle.

The Russian company said the app is 'a unique application for the smartphone that allows drivers to focus on the road, keep hands on the wheel and mind on driving.'
The Hudway app adds an augmented reality element to the windscreen without users having to spend a penny, as the app is free and no special glass coverings for the car are needed.
To use the app, a user simply needs to place their phone on the dashboard and secure it in some way, enabling the app to beam a visual of the road onto the windscreen along with their speed and distance until the next potentially dangerous turn.
The free iPhone app taps into Google Maps
The free iPhone app taps into Google Maps to get its location information. It allows users to pre-load routes before they embark on their journey so the Hudway app does not need to be constantly connected to the internet. App users can also save and share their routes

Sharp turns are highlighted in red and road markers are displayed every 50 metres to help drivers measure the distance before the next big turn, which is designed to be particularly useful in severe fog or at night, when visibility can be restricted in dimly lit areas.
While images show the app in use in snowy and drizzly conditions, some experts question whether the screen from the iPhone is strong enough to project light onto the windscreen in bright  daytime conditions.
Critically, the Russian start-up says that an internet connection is not required for the duration of a car journey as users can set up a route on the app and pre-load a map from Google before they embark on their journey.
Hudway app
The Hudway app adds an augmented reality element to the windscreen without users having to spend a penny, as the app is free and no special glass coverings are needed

The company said: 'Current navigation systems are inherently unsafe. They distract driver’s attention away from the road. Especially it's not safe in low visibility conditions - rain, fog, heavy snow, night or just dark.'
The firm has developed the app in a bid to reduce accidents as a result of poor weather conditions.
According to the World Healthy Organisation, 350 people die every day across the globe as a result of low visibility conditions on the road.
The Hudway app also allows users to save routes and share them with friends and an Android version is scheduled for February 2014, Dvice reported.

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