Although they're meant to show what's happening on the road behind you, rear-view mirrors can be obstructed by headrests, passengers and luggage. To counter this, Cadillac is planning to replace the rear-view mirror with a video feed. It estimates a 300 percent increase in field of vision.
Other car manufacturers have previously used video feeds to provide drivers with a rear-facing view. Mazda, Toyota and Ford have all used a cutaway approach, while Audi has in some instances replaced the mirror altogether. Although Cadillac intends for a video feed to improve the functionality of the mirror, it will revert back to being a conventional electrochromatic mirror if needs be.
The firm says it will use 1280 x 240 resolution TFT-LCD display with 171 pixels per inch. In addition, it says an HD camera and high dynamic range video feed will reduce glare and provide a crisper image in low-light situations when compared to traditional rear-view mirrors.
The camera itself will be mounted outside the vehicle and will have a hydrophobic coating to repel water and keep it clear. In the event that the camera is covered or damaged, a toggle underneath the mirror will allow the driver to disable the video streaming and revert back to using a conventional mirror.
Cadillac expects to debut the technology in the 2016 Cadillac CT6.
Source: Cadillac
C'Mon! It seems you really must "sex it up" for those with less than a normal intellect. Most of us would suffice it to say "live" video, although the term implies "live" as it is, say as opposed to a "still".
But seriously, while part of me welcomes this innovation, another part of me can't help but wonder if the momentum for ever increasingly complicated automobiles is just a metaphor for the unsustainable world economic model based on growth? Modern rear view mirrors are incredibly reliable in stark contrast to modern electronics. A single software glitch or a wayward transistor could render an entire automotive electronics package unusable--not to mention the prohibitively expensive cost of replacement. Notice I didn't say repair? Nobody repairs anything electronic anymore. $100 and a screw driver is all you need for a traditional mirror (if the extremely rare even ever occurs), but a faulty (or broken) HD display...um...I don't know, $2k-ish? As cars become ever more connected, how long before the first report of drivers getting advertisements or spam on their rear view mirrors? Remember there was a time (for those older than 20) when we thought our cell phones were impervious to viruses and spam?
Well, when self-driving cars become mainstream,