A
head-up display or
heads-up display—also known as a
HUD—is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a
pilot being able to view information with the head positioned "up" and looking forward, instead of angled down looking at lower instruments. A HUD also has the advantage that the pilot's eyes do not need to
refocus to view the outside after looking at the optically nearer instruments.