The BMW
i8 concept car revealed during CES features cameras located where side-view
mirrors be, and on the top inside of the back window.
The
rear-view and side-view mirrors in the i8 are replaced by three cameras and a special screen
to show drivers what's behind and around their cars.
The i8
concept car was unveiled during the CES in Las Vegas.
Two of
the cameras are on the exterior of the car where side mirrors are normally
located. But the struts that hold the cameras are significantly slimmer than
existing designs.
The third
camera is placed inside of the rear window. The car's software stitches all of
the video feeds together for a very wide view of the road.
A
high-resolution video is streamed to a screen where the rear-view mirror would
be.
"Dangerous
blind spots have been consigned to the past," BMW says about this
technology. "The image of the traffic behind the car covers a greater
viewing angle than could be observed using the interior and exterior mirrors.
No adjustment of the cameras is necessary."
The car's
software system will also provide warning signals on the screen if it senses
dangerous obstacles.
Trimming
the side mirrors provide more than just improved safety, BMW says.
The new design will reduce wind noise because they are "optimized
aerodynamically and aeroacoustically."
The loss
of bulky side-view mirrors should also help improve gas mileage, which
automakers are always looking to do in order to meet tougher fuel mileage
rules.
The main
catch to BMW's idea? The car would be illegal to drive in the United States
right now. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rules require
rear-view mirrors.
GM has created a similar feature for its new
Cadillac CT6. But the CT6 has a standard rearview mirror that can also stream
high-resolution video from a camera mounted on the back of the vehicle
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