One can’t imagine driving a car without a rear view mirror, it is absolutely essential. Though sometimes the driver might find his or her view obstructed, particularly if there’s stuff in the rear hatch area or a really tall person is sitting in the back. Nissan aims to remove all of these nuisances through its new Smart Rearview Mirror, a system that incorporates a traditional mirror as well as an integrated LCD which displays feeds from a high resolution 1.3 megapixel camera on the rear.
Drivers will be able to switch between the camera feed and the conventional button through one touch of a button. The rear camera that provides the feed in this system can be accessed at all times, while existing rear cameras on vehicles are only activated once the car is put in reverse. However, since there are laws in the U.S. and elsewhere that prohibit visible video for drivers while the car is at speed, Nissan will have to jump through a few legal hoops in certain markets.
Nissan claims that the camera provides a wider and clearer view as opposed to the conventional mirror, so drivers will be able to keep an eye on what’s happening behind them with much more ease. The camera also features built-in image processing which enhances quality particularly under low light, rain or snow and even when there’s glare from direct sunlight. Nissan plans to bring Smart Rearview Mirror to the global market next year.