When it comes to innovation in the auto industry, there are quite a few technologies out there that show huge potential. One of those is augmented reality, whereby digital forms overlay the real world to create an enhanced perspective to serve a specific purpose. One new player in this space is Mini,->ke57 which will bring its “Augmented Vision” concept to the Auto Shanghai->ke2470 show later this month, offering a new high-tech way to navigate, communicate, park, and stay safe. 

“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,” says Dr. Jörg Preißinger, project-manager at BMW->ke178 Group research and technology, in a press release. “Working with several Qualcomm companies, we have created an interlinked system and augmented reality eyewear with a characteristic Mini design that revolutionize the experience both in and outside the vehicle.”

Both customizable and interactive, the AR eyewear projects images and information into the driver’s view while keeping other cars and road elements visible. Features include directions when looking for your car in a crowded parking lot, navigation arrows “on” the road leading to your intended destination, highlighted points of interest (such as open parking spaces), vehicle speed and posted speed limits, audible text messaging, “transparent” body panels that eliminate blind spots, and parking cameras. 

With this new concept, Mini joins the ranks of several other companies in exploring the possibilities of augmented reality for automotive purposes. JLR, for example, has proposed the idea of transparent body panels before, while Pioneer proposed AR navigation concepts as early as 2011. 

Continue reading to learn more about Mini's augmented vision eyewear.

Why it matters

Augmented reality is a technology that is just too good to ignore. The potential benefits it holds for the car industry are substantial and varied, and it appears as though Mini is putting most of the big ones together into a single cohesive package. 

And while it does take more than a concept to actually bring this stuff to consumers, I believe it’s just a matter of time before we see AR in production cars.

However, I say that with a single caveat – with the rate at which fully-autonomous vehicle technology seems to be progressing, AR may not have a chance to make its entry into the market, at least not in the form we’re seeing from Mini. If human drivers are phased out, AR in cars will probably just be an extension of AR in the rest of the world, with entertainment and information presentation as the main goals, rather than navigation and safety. 

Mini Cooper

Late last year, Mini announced it would be reducing the number of models it offered to just five, including the three- and five-door Cooper.

Read our full review here.