BMW side-view cameras

5th January 2016

Door mirrors | Blind spots | LCD displays

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The trouble with conventional car side mirrors is (a) they ignore the blind spots on either side of the vehicle (b) they're noisy due to aerodynamic drag, and (c) they get in the bloody way when you're filtering on your motorcycle through traffic. Well BMW (which has just unveiled a new heads-up helmet concept; eyes left everyone) is also busy developing side-view cameras to replace those "oh-so-last-century" mirrors.

What makes these cameras more interesting than some concepts is the fact that the electronic eyeballs are networked around the vehicle via supporting cameras thereby providing a more seamless view of the world behind.

To cope with poor weather, the cameras are fitted with Gorilla glass (as used on Smartphones) and heated elements to help dispel water, snow and ice.

Additionally, the mirrors can be networked to one or more of the onboard computers to register misbehaving vehicles coming up too fast as you prepare to hook a left or a right or a U-turn. Or whatever. The images from the cameras are fed to an LCD display that either doubles up as a rear-view mirror, or is somehow integrated into the rear view mirror.

It's all still work-in-progress. But the trouble with waiting for the future is that it's all suddenly yesterday.

What BMW hasn't done, however, is explain how the hell you're supposed to use the driver's side-view camera to check your teeth at traffic lights. And no doubt, there will be unintended consequences of having a mobile film studio built into your car.

Just look what's happened with mobile phone technology. It's worrying.

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