The patented product is an augmented reality windshield that uses a variety of sensors, including visible light cameras, infrared cameras, and radar devices, to display a 3D image of the environment outside your car.
Apple Inc. has just filed a patent for an augmented reality (AR) windshield, a novel and previously unheard of product that could either revolutionize how drivers interact with the road and make Apple a household name or become just another name on the company’s list of unused patents.
While the specifics of the technology and its potential applications remain unclear, experts have drawn comparisons to Pokémon Go, which uses a similar approach to superimposing a digital map on top of a physical one and allowing players to hunt for virtual characters located there.
Apple’s unique windshield functions in a similar way; however, instead of discovering Pokémon characters as you navigate a digital map, drivers will see digital versions of the traffic, obstacles, and pothole-filled roads in front of their cars.
In order to create the digital or 3D image of the world outside your vehicle, Apple will use a variety of sensors, including visible light cameras, infrared cameras, and even radar devices, as detailed in the patent.
But what good does it do when all it does is make a computer-generated representation of the street? Well, the windshield may come in handy for either emphasizing critical road information, like a traffic light, or hiding less crucial but more distracting elements, like flashy advertisements.
Creating illusions like a speed bump when you’re going too fast is also possible, however it’s risky and can make you feel controlled.
Considering how’sci-fi’ and potentially dangerous ideas of an augmented reality windshield still are, Apple’s intentions with the patent are unclear. So, what do you make of this? What do you think? Tell us in the comments!