Garmin's New HUD Navigator Will Bring Out Your Inner Maverick

If you were a fan of fighter pilot movies or games and always wished you could use that cool transparent heads up display in real life, your dreams just became reality. Garmin, the GPS navigation technology company, just announced "HUD," the company's first portable heads up display accessory for navigation.

The HUD is not its own navigation device, but an accessory for smartphones that works with Garmin's navigation apps. The gadget sits on your dashboard instead of being mounted up on the windshield and projects teal translucent navigation instructions onto a transparent film, which is stuck onto the windshield. There's also a reflector lens that attaches directly to the HUD if you don't want to use the windshield film, (but that makes it more like a boring old GPS system). Audible navigation instructions also come with the Garmin navigation apps.

Garmin says that this new system for GPS navigation is intended to be safer than traditional systems. "By providing comprehensive road guidance at a glance and right within the driver's line of sight, HUD can help increase safety and reduce driver distraction," said Garmin's statement indroducing the device.

"HUD redefines the navigation experience by allowing drivers to find their way without taking their eyes off the road," said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. "Head-up displays currently have their place in select high-end cars, but HUD makes this technology available as an aftermarket accessory for any vehicle, at an affordable price."  

The HUD displays navigation information in a simplified format, including turn-by-turn directions, distance to the next turn, the estimated time of arrival, as well as the speed limit for each particular road and the vehicle's current speed. The HUD will alert drivers when they're exceeding the speed limit (which sounds like it could be distracting), but it also does nifty things like providing traffic and safety alerts, and specifying what lane drivers should be in to make the next turn.

Garmin says the HUD has been designed to provide the most pertinent information in an uncomplicated, clean interface. "HUD offers more navigation details than other portable heads-up displays, yet presents them in a simplified way that doesn't divert the driver's attention from the road," said Garmin's statement. "The directions are easy to follow and allow drivers to navigate even the most challenging interchanges and traffic situations with ease."

The Garmin HUD works with two Garmin apps: the Garmin StreetPilot Onboard U.S.A. app ($49.99 for iOS, $29.99 for Windows 8), and NAVIGON U.S.A. ($49.99 for iOS, $39.95 for Android). HUD can pair with Android phones, iPhones, and Windows 8 phones using Bluetooth. Voice prompts use either your Bluetooth-enabled speaker system, or the phone's speaker, and music being played on the car stereo automatically fades out during turn-by-turn voice prompts. There's also an integrated USB port in the power adapter so you can keep your paired smartphone charged while you're using it.  

Garmin says the HUD will start at $129.99, but you'll have to buy one of the navigation apps as well. If you do buy the HUD and set it up, remember, you're not actually in a fighter jet, so drive responsibly.