Zeiss Microoptics Makes First Public Debut of Holographic Rear-Seat Entertainment Display, Holographic Windshield Display and Transparent Camera Prototypes at SAECCE 2026

At the 33rd China Society of Automotive Engineers Annual Congress and Exhibition (SAECCE 2026), ZEISS Microoptics publicly showcased a holographic rear-seat entertainment display prototype for the first time. The prototype adopts a foldable overhead layout, using transparent glass as the display surface. Its picture generation unit (PGU) provides the light source, and a holographic film integrated into the transparent glass directs the light toward the passenger viewing area; the glass itself does not emit light. Also unveiled alongside the rear-seat prototype were a holographic windshield display and a transparent camera solution. The holographic windshield display uses holographic optical structures in the glass to direct image light from a projector into a pre-designed "eyebox," allowing the driver and front passenger to view different content separately; when the projector is turned off, the glass no longer presents an image. The transparent camera solution uses micro-optical structures in a transparent surface to direct incident light to a hidden image sensor, and this technology can be explored for integration into display cover glass or combined with windshield displays. Stephan Hoefer, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Key Accounts and Marketing for Automotive and Consumer Markets at ZEISS Microoptics, expects that the holographic windshield display may enter mass production application in 2029. The rear-seat transparent display solution does not involve integration with the windshield, and the specific timeline needs to be determined jointly with OEMs and aligned with vehicle mass production plans. On October 8, ZEISS announced the acquisition of Scotland-based Ceres Holographics, incorporating it into its Microoptics business. Ceres Holographics' business includes the design, mastering and replication of thin-film holographic optical elements, with automotive windshield displays being one of its key application areas.