Mini’s Virtual Reality Concept Goggles Give You a Head-Up Display and a See-Through Car

Ever wished you didn’t have to crane your neck, adjust your mirrors, and lean on (literal) blind faith that your passenger-side door isn’t hiding some unseen obstacle when you park? Have you been pining for a heads-up display that works like Google Glass but looks more like the cheesy sunglasses you get at the Dollar Store? Mini has you covered with its new Augmented Vision concept: A set of oddly proportioned goggles that augment your vision with Iron Man-style visual notifications, no sci-fi helmet required.

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Developed for the Shanghai Auto Show where it’s currently on display, the Augmented Vision concept is built around a Qualcomm-powered set of funky specs with a built-in, see-through display. When properly installed on your stylish cyborg face, the goggles can project GPS navigation prompts, heads-up display speed limit warnings, destination and parking info, and notifications when you’ve received a text message (which the car’s built-in voice can read to you).

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When you’re ready to park, the car’s externally-mounted cameras can send their views to the sunglasses, allowing you to “see through” formerly opaque vehicular structures such as A-pillars and doors. This way, you can see exactly how far your passenger-side wheels are from the curb, or, judging by Mini’s press image above, avoid bumping into the cool, skateboard-riding dog hiding just below your view.

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The Augmented Vision concept is obviously not headed for production anytime soon—at least, not until they can style up those chunky glasses to something a bit more, uh, svelte. But unlike so many tech-heavy “connected car” daydreams that feel like they only offer more ways for befuddled drivers to distract themselves, this is a mobile computing concept we could totally get behind. Just find a way to fit the Augmented Vision tech to something a little less Daft Punk-esque. Maybe some Steve McQueen-style Persols?

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