ZEISS and HÜBNER bring advanced functionality to bus and train windows

Jena, Germany | 12 December 2024 | ZEISS Group

With its holographic display technology, integrated into the window systems of buses and trains, ZEISS now offers greater comfort on public transit journeys. The ZEISS holographic solutions, which permit smart applications, have now reached market readiness. The Holographic Transparent Display was presented this year for the first time as a near-production prototype in the transportation segment in close collaboration with the HÜBNER Group, a global system provider for the mobility sector.

The display technology takes up practically no space and uses little energy while delivering excellent image quality – making it an ideal solution for innovative window systems in public transit. The large-format, transparent window panes in buses and rail vehicles are perfectly suited for the integration of holographic solutions as a basis for presenting interactive content and information. There are basically no limits to the highly customisable content. Every transparent window surface can take on the functions of modern, high-resolution displays and input devices thanks to the Multifunctional Smart Glass technology developed by ZEISS.

ZEISS and HÜBNER will be presenting this public transportation technology at the CES in Las Vegas from January 7 to 10, 2025. At the ZEISS booth (LVCC, North Hall 10149), holographic solutions specialists will be on hand to explain this trailblazing application in detail.

Advanced holographic infotainment services not only represent an additional information source for public transit users. By boosting customer satisfaction, they also make a valuable contribution to the mobility transition. This is confirmed, for example, in a study conducted jointly by the rail service operator DB Regio AG and the Technical University of Darmstadt on the needs of local rail transit passengers and how they seek information. The results show that, despite the availability of app-based travel information on personal end devices, passengers still see real-time public information as indispensable. That means more than 30 percent of the respondents primarily rely on onboard information media while travelling by train. Some 60 percent would like additional information to be displayed to all passengers in case of service disruptions.¹

A study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering (IESE) also shows that users of local transit increasingly want reliable real-time information on the route and position of vehicles and connecting services. Despite the available digital resources, around 63 percent of respondents rated the current information flow as unsatisfactory². This could be avoided through holographic information services.

The ZEISS technology for holographic applications is directly integrated into window systems and cannot be visually distinguished from conventional windows. Any desired content can be flexibly displayed in the passengers’ field of view. Along with precise information on the next stops, this might include details on nearby shopping opportunities or tourist attractions along the route.

The holographic window systems demonstrate a high transparency performance of over 90 percent along with high temperature resistance and strength. The direct integration of the projection surfaces into the solid window panes also protects against vandalism.

"Through our long-term collaboration with the HÜBNER Group in a number of areas, we have created a valuable win-win situation for both partners, both in terms of technology and applications" says Dr. Viktor Schütz, Head of Partnership Management at ZEISS Microoptics. "Our Multifunctional Smart Glass technology, combined with the large-scale and transparent windows in vehicles, is ideally suited for interaction and information surfaces. Through the embedding of our holographic technology, there are basically no limits to the potential applications. This opens up an entirely new travel experience for public transit users in ways never seen before."

"With holographic optical elements in our window systems, passengers can receive important information directly in their field of view," adds Ingolf Cedra, Managing Director of the HÜBNER Group. "In addition, they offer significant advantages over conventional technologies such as OLED systems. Holographic displays can be retrofitted at any time, consume less energy and take up much less space in the vehicle. This is because, unlike conventional output systems using monitors, for example, they do not depend on expensive and bulky equipment. And they do all of this with excellent image resolution and brightness."

ZEISS Microoptics, the world's only technology Tier1 supplier for holographic solutions for a wide range of applications in the mobility, hometech and consumer sectors. The "Multifunctional Smart Glass" technology enables, among other things, large-area holographic projection systems, highly integrated cameras in transparent media and holographic lighting applications. ZEISS Microoptics offers the complete value chain from optical design and mastering to holographic replication systems for series production. ZEISS Microoptics is based in Jena, Germany, and is part of the strategic business unit Photonics & Optics. 

Materials. Photonics. | united by passion.

With its Mobility Rail, Mobility Road, Material Solutions, and Photonics business divisions, the HÜBNER Group is a global systems supplier for the mobility sector, industry, life sciences, and science. HÜBNER is a global leader in the field of gangway systems for rail vehicles and buses as well as a supplier of chassis technology and cockpit display solutions as well as door sealing and safety profiles. The company is also internationally recognized as a specialist for sophisticated solutions using elastomers, insulation, and composite materials. The area of laser technology is developing successfully, with applications for cancer diagnostics and spectroscopy, for example. In 2023, the HÜBNER Group generated revenues of around 472 million euros with around 3,500 employees worldwide. In addition to its headquarters in Kassel, HÜBNER has over 30 locations around the globe.

www.hubner-group.com