World Premier: MINI Augmented Vision Glasses

MINI just dropped a prototype – an augmented reality pair of drive glasses that blends the functionality of the car with the outside world. Will they remain a prototype or will MINI build them? Will they succeed where something more macro like Google Glass failed? So many questions. We should have more (including videos) shortly.

Official Release: MINI is revealing the shape of things to come at the Auto Shanghai show with a pioneering innovation. “MINI Augmented Vision gives an insight into how intelligent connectivity between a MINI car and eyewear into which relevant content is projected might work in the future,” explains Dr. Jörg Preißinger, project-manager MINI Augmented Vision, BMW Group research and technology. “Working with several Qualcomm companies, we have created an interlinked system and augmented reality eyewear with a characteristic MINI design that revolutionise the experience both in and outside the vehicle. This prototype with its customised, interactive functions succeeds in fusing augmented reality with the brand’s trademark sense of lifestyle.”

Using see-through technology, the AR eyewear shows relevant information in the driver’s direct field of vision but without concealing other road users, thereby serving to increase safety and comfort while driving.

The following functions will be projected into the field of view with MINI Augmented Vision:

– Destination entry for navigation and transfer to vehicle: Selecting destination points when outside the vehicle, then transferring them to the vehicle.
– First Mile / Last Mile: Navigation display from the current location to the vehicle or from the vehicle to the final destination.
– Head-up display functions: Display of speed, speed limits etc. in the eyewear so the information is in the driver’s primary field of view, with data always shown in same place above steering wheel to make sure that no road users are concealed from sight.
– Contact-analogue navigation and points of interest: Reality is enhanced by contact-analogue navigation arrows “on” the road, as well as display of points of interest along the route, such as open parking spaces. The driver´s attention can always stay focused on the traffic.
– Messaging: A small icon is shown in the eyewear when a message is received. The SMS/message can then be read out by the car while driving for safety.
– X-Ray View / transparent vehicle parts: A virtual view through parts of the vehicle (such as A-pillars and doors) serves to render external areas or objects concealed by the car visible.
– Augmented Parking: This facilitates parking by projecting the images from a camera housed in the (farside) mirror into the eyewear. In this way, the distance from the curb can be clearly and easily ascertained.
– Design and color-concept of the eyewear were created by Designworks for MINI.

MINI Augmented Vision has been developed in collaboration with several Qualcomm companies.

“We are proud to have helped develop a breakthrough augmented reality interface between eyewear and the automobile,” says Jay Wright, Vice President, Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc. “MINI Augmented Vision offers a compelling example of what’s possible today, and what we can expect in the future.”