BMW revives old-school goggles with a twist

SHANGHAI — Car drivers stopped wearing goggles almost a century ago. Now, BMW is bringing them back.

The German automaker’s Mini unit will be showing off a system that is a throwback in looks and a step forward in technology to give drivers a better all-round view of what goes on outside their car. The Mini Augmented Vision, to be demonstrated this week at the Shanghai Auto Show, feeds motorists information while their eyes remain fixed on the road.

Using augmented reality, the headset projects warnings, speeds and directions onto the lens in front of a driver’s eyes. While that is not much more than an adaption of the increasingly common heads-up display technology already offered in the Mini, the device’s more advanced trick is to provide feeds from cameras mounted on the outside of the car.

That means the driver can see a display of blind spots usually obscured by the vehicle’s body. So, for example, glancing over to the right allows you to see an image of the area outside the car’s passenger side and the curb to make parking easier. The goggles are controlled with buttons on the steering wheel.

BMW and Mini’s researchers have teamed up with San Francisco start-up Osterhout Design Group and mobile-phone chipmaker Qualcomm to integrate the eyewear with in-vehicle technology already in use and extend its range. Goggle users can also put the headset on when they are outside the car and get walking directions to the vehicle — useful after a concert if you cannot remember where you parked.

Once in the car, the device automatically links with the vehicle and starts supplying driver-essential information such as directions and warnings.

If someone texts while you are driving, a small warning appears onscreen and gives you the option of having the car read the message aloud.

BMW said the system had been designed to minimise distractions and help a driver stay focused on the road. In any technical glitch, emergency or battery failure, the goggles will clear the driver’s view. The company has no specific plans to commercialise the technology at the moment and has not decided whether it would offer the headsets itself or enable those made by others to link with its in-car technology. It chose a retro design for the headset as befitting the Mini’s quirky image.

Google Glass and other eyewear technology have not taken off because they failed as fashion items and lacked a clear use. BMW and Qualcomm said their augmented vision goggles provide a specific purpose and would not attract too much unwanted attention. BLOOMBERG