Follow the Virtual Cable™ - it is safe, simple and intuitive

FAQ

Virtual Cable™ The Pitch Safety Technology Patents About Us

Introduction 

We are flattered and delighted by the overwhelming public and business interest in the Virtual Cable™. Thank you very much!

On December 4, 2007 we presented the Virtual Cable™ technology at the Telematics Update Navigation & Location USA conference in San Jose, California. Our objectives were to solicit comments from the automotive/telematics industry and to look for suitable partners to help us in the commercialization of our technology. We received a very positive response at the conference, but we never sought any publicity beyond it. Even our website is addressed primarily to the industry and not to the general public.

To our amazement, a number of trade and popular publications wrote articles about the Virtual Cable™, and several people posted our videos on YouTube. After that, blogs all over the world started commenting on our invention.

On December 18th (just two weeks after the conference), the traffic on our website exceeded all limits allowed by our hosting company (almost 500,000 hits in just one day, where most of these hits involved viewing of our videos). We had to disable the videos until we secured new, more suitable hosting accommodations for our website. Thanks to all of you for contributing to these "problems"!

We'd also like to give our thanks to so many people, all around the world, who sent us their questions or comments, as well as to those who posted their comments in blogs. We've received more inquiries about various aspects of our technology than we can possibly answer in a short period of time. We'll do our best to respond to your inquiries. In the meantime, we are addressing the most common questions here. We will be expanding and updating this page periodically (as our time permits and as any new issues come up), so please visit us again.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Question:   Is the Virtual Cable™ display a commercial product or just vaporware?

Answer:   It is neither. We have a feasible design for a commercial product. We are currently talking with several potential partners who have resources suitable to help us implement this design and bring the Virtual Cable™ technology to market. We've applied for patents in the United States, European Union and in Japan. We have a working proof-of-concept that validates the soundness of our technology. Considering that we are a very small company (3 people), we can be very proud of our accomplishments thus far. We are determined to insure that our technology becomes a successful commercial product.

Question:   How can I become a distributor for your product?

Answer:   In passenger cars, the Virtual Cable™ display will only be available as an option in a new car. In trucks and buses the Virtual Cable™ display will be available as an after-market device. However, at this early stage of the product development, it is premature for us to consider any distribution deals.

Question:   Why is the Virtual Cable™ displayed in true 3D?

Answer:   There is more to it than just the "wow" factor. Safety studies demonstrate that images shown in a head-up display (HUD) should appear to a driver as real and stationary objects in the surrounding landscape.

In order for any "virtual" object to appear real and stationary to a moving observer (i.e. driver), it must be displayed in true 3D and with consistent optic flow. The impression of true three-dimensionality is achieved by the observance of depth cues. Depth cues are visual phenomena that are present when observing actual 3D objects. Such cues signal the brain that the observed object is part of the surrounding three-dimensional space and allow us to automatically judge the distance to the object.

It is known that stationary objects around us draw far less of our attention than moving objects. Millions of years of evolution have conditioned us to notice movement that could signify our next meal or a dangerous predator. In contrast, we can safely walk through a forest without paying too much attention to the trees. This is similar to a drivers' use of roadway curbs or lane markers as navigational cues, without consciously doing so.

Question:   Why is the Virtual Cable™ displayed high above the road and not on (or near) the road surface?

Answer:   Because the Virtual Cable™ is displayed in true 3D, the driver can automatically judge the distance to different parts of the Virtual Cable™ (e.g. turns) even if it is shown suspended high above the road. Positioning of the Virtual Cable™ there has several advantages:

  • The Virtual Cable™ image does not obscure any objects on or near the road. Such obstruction can be unsafe and annoying.
  • The driver needs only peripheral vision to follow the Virtual Cable™ (and thus being able to focus the sight on the road ahead).
  • The closer the route guidance image appears to the road, the stricter are its map data and current car position requirements. If the image was to appear on the road surface, a very small misalignment (30 centimeters or even less) would be easily noticeable and annoying. Since the Virtual Cable™ is suspended around 10 meters above the road surface, a misalignment of 1 meter (or even more) would be barely noticeable.
  • In a typical passenger car the driver's eyes are only about 1.5 meters above the road surface. This means that, in a flat terrain, the features of the road (e.g. intersections, turns, etc.) far ahead are severely foreshortened (seen very close together). The same features represented by parts of the Virtual Cable™ would be seen much farther apart, giving the driver better glimpse of the road ahead.