Head-up displays (HUDs) first appeared on production vehicles way back in the late 1980’s, and add-on HUDs have been around for quite a while too – and not just for cars but also for motorbike helmets. But Taiwan-based company Springteq says its WeGo HUD Navigator is the first product to integrate GPS satellite navigation and a HUD in an all-in-one design. The device projects navigation information onto the windshield to provide a virtual readout out that appears roughly one meter (3.3-feet) in front of the driver.

The WeGo integrates GPS satellite navigation and a HUD in an all-in-one design

The advantages of HUDs are obvious. They provide drivers with valuable information without having to take their eyes off the road. The WeGo also allows drivers to operate the device without having to take their hands off the wheel thanks to a RF-based wireless remote control that attaches to the steering wheel.

The compact projector unit mounts on the dash and projects a virtual image 4.5-inches in size. The projector boasts a 400 x 240 pixel resolution as well as 13,000 cd/m2 brightness and 500:1 contrast ratio that the company says allows for clear visibility even in direct sunlight. An optical sensor will also automatically adjust brightness based on the ambient light, while the unit’s reflective image display technology eliminates the need to adjust focus.

The Wego projector unit is powered via a cable that plugs into the vehicle’s cigarette lighter and its coating and heat-dissipating design means it should be able to withstand both hot summer and cold winter conditions.

Running Microsoft Windows CE the device comes with 2GB of built-in flash memory which is expandable using SD/SDHC memory cards.

Springteq also offers the smaller WeGo mini that boasts similar specs to its bigger brother, but produces a 3.5-inch virtual image from a 320 x 240 resolution projector with 10,000 cd/m2 brightness and 500:1 contrast ratio.

Springteq is partnering with other companies to bring the WeGo and WeGo mini to market and will announce more details including pricing and availability in Q4, 2010.

Dustbot Been remiss with the recycling? Simply dial up the Dustbot and it will dispose of your junk for you.

Recycling is often too bothersome of a task for the average person. Enter Dustbot, an adorable Segway-powered robot that travels from home to home hauling out people’s garbage on request. When notified by mobile phone, Dustbot uses GPS and motion sensors to locate the caller’s address. Upon Dustbot’s arrival, the caller selects the type of garbage he wants to give the robot. Dustbot then carries the trash or recycling to the appropriate location.

Researchers at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna CRIM Lab in Pisa, Italy, developed Dustbot as a solution to the inconvenience of garbage trucks that arrive only at fixed times and places. Dustbot not only runs at all hours, whenever your garbage is ready to be picked up, but it can navigate the narrow alleyways prevalent in urban environments. Click on the video below to see the Dustbot and its cohorts-in-cleaning, DustCart and DustClean, in action.

The friendly-looking Dustbot carries 70 pounds of garbage, travels at two miles an hour, and comes equipped with a battery that enables 10 miles of autonomous travel. While the thought of robots roaming around cities may be disconcerting for some, the convenience of on-call recycling could be a dealmaker for people who are tired of seeing their sidewalks littered with unsightly trash bags.

The only thing that would make Dustbot more perfect, once it goes commercial, is if it would also deliver our dry cleaning.