What’s the story?
FORVIA HELLA has invested in Finnish startup Distance Technologies and partnered with it to develop a mirrorless 3D augmented reality head-up display for cars.
Why it matters
The display superimposes real and virtual content so that the driver perceives them as a single consistent image, putting driving information in view without distraction.
The bigger picture
The two companies are working to bring a new generation of AR head-up displays into series production, with Distance’s 3D light field technology at the center of the effort.
September 10, 2026 – FORVIA HELLA, a provider of automotive lighting technology and vehicle electronics, has today announced an investment, made through HELLA Ventures, in Distance Technologies, a Finnish startup developing artificial intelligence (AI)-based computational optics and three-dimensional (3D) light field technology. The two companies have also entered a strategic development partnership to develop a mirrorless 3D augmented reality (AR) head-up display (HUD) for automotive applications.
According to FORVIA HELLA, a conventional HUD projects two-dimensional graphics onto the windshield using integrated mirrors. The new display instead augments the entire view with three-dimensional visualizations, with real and virtual content superimposed so that they are perceived as a consistent image without distracting the driver. The mirrorless approach, the company stated, significantly reduces the required installation space without compromising the 3D AR experience.
“With the space-optimized 3D AR Head-Up Display, we not only expand our product portfolio with a new, future-oriented technology, but also advance the development of digital and sustainable cockpit experiences,” said Andreas Lütkes, member of the Electronics executive board at FORVIA HELLA.
Lütkes added, “In the partnership between FORVIA HELLA and Distance Technologies, leading automotive and industrialization competence is combined with advanced hardware and software expertise. This enables functions that project relevant driving information spatially and precisely into the field of view without distracting or fatiguing the driver. The result: a clear increase in safety, comfort, and intuitive interaction. The collaboration is therefore an important step in significantly shaping future user experiences.”
Context-related environmental and driving information, such as dynamic navigation cues highlighting target roads, lane guidance, the exit to take, or hazard information, can be embedded precisely on the roadway within the driver’s real field of view, according to FORVIA HELLA.
The company also noted that with a virtual 3D AR canvas, applications using the HUD to display information are more flexible to the needs of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and can be updated via software. The three-dimensional depth projection also creates a virtual space in which entertainment formats can be provided for passengers, along with video-based communication services for passengers and, in scenarios of highly automated driving, for the driver as well.
“The revolutionary 3D light field technology from Distance is at the center of our partnership with FORVIA HELLA, as we work together to bring a new generation of AR HUDs into series production. This collaboration – further strengthened by the investment from HELLA Ventures in Distance Technologies – enables us to move from merely displaying information to introducing visual intelligence into the physical world,” said Urho Konttori, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Distance Technologies.
For more information on FORVIA HELLA, click here. To find out more about Distance Technologies and its XR light field display systems, please visit the company’s website.
Image credit: FORVIA HELLA / Distance Technologies
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix, where he has spent years immersed in the XR ecosystem, tracking its evolution from early prototypes to the technologies shaping the future of human experience. While primarily covering the latest AR and VR news, his interests extend to the wider world of human augmentation, from AI and robotics to haptics, wearables, and brain–computer interfaces.