Mercedes SplitView tech is two screens in one

SplitView uses a special screen to view two separate images on one screen.

(Credit: 2008 Daimler AG)

A dash-mounted LCD is the perfect spot for viewing a movie during a long road trip if you're a front-seat passenger, but a movie playing right there in the driver's periphery could prove too much of a distraction for the driver. Mercedes may have come up with a solution to this problem with its SplitView technology.

Essentially, the SplitView tech is a special screen in the dash that allows the driver and front passenger to view two different programs at the same time. While the driver is checking the navigation instructions, the front passenger can sit back and watch a film on the very same display. This new technology will be introduced in the S-Class in summer 2009.

Developed in partnership by Mercedes-Benz and Bosch, the SplitView technology will be integrated into the COMAND system, which is centrally located in the dashboard console. The system uses an 8-inch TFT display that creates two images in alternating rows of pixels. A masking lens, which we assume is similar to the lens used in transforming lenticular printing, is used to ensure that the driver sees one image and the passenger sees another.

This gives the driver access to the navigation and vehicle information, while the front passenger uses the remote control to choose DVDs, TV channels or music videos. To avoid distracting the driver, the passenger also has the option of using headphones.