Mini's Augmented Reality Driving Goggles

Always fascinated by Iron Man's helmet that provides Tony Stark with augmented reality information? Mini cars are working on something similar, minus the attack mode. Now owned by BMW, the popular car brand is developing augmented reality goggles that enhance the driving experience.

The driving goggles are equipped with cameras that enable features like pedestrian detection and collision control, and apply emergency brakes if necessary. Apart from that, the technology also comes with a head-up display that projects information like speed and directions on the windshield. One of the most impressive features of goggles is the X-ray vision; for example, when you look at the door of the car, the goggles show what is on the other side of the car by using the cameras outside.

One of the biggest challenges for such technologies is decreasing the processing time that the camera needs to detect something and convert it into graphics. Teaming up with Qualcomm technologies, Mini's goggles try to overcome this hurdle by predicting where the user's head will turn, which is in order to gain some time for processing the information. Qualcomm believes that in the future it will be possible to decrease the processing time down to zero, thus making the perception align with the reality.

Although it is not certain if such a technology will be embraced by consumers, Mini believes that these goggles will be popular in the future of driving.

Source: Wired