Clear Vision

Seeing more in difficult driving conditions.

The smart drivers glasses are able to locally dim regions of the lens based on the direction and intensity of light utilising an in-lens transparent display. Providing shade just where it is needed, from the sun during the day and modern car headlights and rear brake lights at night to provide a clearer view and comfortable drive. This in-lens display also helps augmented elements stand out more clearly with the additive light field display used to provide the augmented reality glasses for real world driving conditions.

In low visibility like fog or at night it is harder to pick out other road users, road edges and markings. So the smart driver glasses utilise the cars cameras and other sensors to detect these and colourise the important road users, road edges and the horizon in real time. Not only through the windscreen but even extending into the cabin to help the driver stay orientated.

Wider Vision

Increasing the field of view to see other road users.

Blind spots in mirrors can mean you can miss quickly approaching road users like cyclists in the lanes closest to the car. So traditionally we need to look over our shoulder to check our blind spots before making a manoeuvre. Some advanced cars do provide a visual alert on the wing mirror of other road users entering your blind spots. But with these smart driver glasses, digital content visually extends the field of view of the mirror. Revealing the cyclist or other road users at your side. Augmenting it in this case with a live video feed of the cyclist in the blind spot taken from the cars 360 cameras. Helping to be aware of your immediate surroundings and giving you more confidence to change lanes or take a turn.

Prescient Vision

Anticipating other road users actions.

The actions of cars and other road users can be unpredictable and disconcerting. From a car pulling out from a junction, to a cyclist turning across our path unexpectedly. Turn signals and brake lights help us to anticipate changes in direction or speed but only if they are used. Whilst existing driver advanced systems can provide forward collision warning and autonomous emergency breaking, they don't address the discomfort from the driver of more minor unexpected changes in other road users behaviours.

So the system utilises the inward looking sensors on the car (brakes, gears, steering, acceleration) to understands your driving behaviour and outward looking sensors (radar, LiDAR and cameras) to understand the behaviour of other road users around you. This data is used to calculate the motion of each and predict movement change just happening before it is visible by the driver. The smart driver displays the future position as a shadow of the future vehicle position of relevant road users to your path, seconds ahead of time. Giving you more time to determine a smoother, less stressful course of action for safer driver driving.

Conclusions

By starting with the driver's perspective, these smart glasses, integrated with the vehicle's vision system, aim to enhance vision and perception in various driving scenarios. Providing clearer vision by reducing glare, highlighting crucial road elements, widening the field of view and predict the movements of other road users. This concept is not a solved product ready to ship. But seeks to open up thinking on how digital content might augment our view of the world in the future. Where the physical and the digital are more intimately connected. Enhancing elements of the real world to provide relatable benefits for today’s users.

The emerging technologies of autonomy and smart glasses promise not only to improve safety today, elevate the comfort and confidence of drivers on the road, but become a bridge between traditional driving and future autonomy.