The humble sun visor could be about to get a technological overhaul using an LCD screen and artificial intelligence.
Dubbed the Virtual Visor, it made its debut at CES 2020, a tech show based in Las Vegas, where the product won the Best of Innovation Award.
Designed by technology and service provider Bosch, it features an LCD panel and a driver-facing camera, the visor uses AI to determine when and where to reduce glare in order to minimise the sun’s impact on road visibility.
The idea behind the tech is that, rather than having a large slab obstructing the driver’s view ahead, it would be better to only block the light that would be in the driver’s eyes. The Virtual Visor achieves this by using small panels which can be turned either non-transparent or transparent.
Steffen Berns, president of Bosch Car Multimedia, said: “For most drivers around the world, the visor component as we know it is not enough to avoid hazardous sun glare – especially at dawn and dusk when the sun can greatly decrease drivers’ vision.
“Some of the simplest innovations make a great impact, and Virtual Visor changes the way drivers see the road.”
In addition, Bosch claims that glare from the sun ‘causes thousands of automotive accidents a year, almost two times more than any other weather-related condition’.
Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch in North America, said: “We’ve built a culture around empowering our associates by putting them in the driver’s seat.
“As a leading global technology provider, we understand that innovation can come from any level of an organisation, and we want to see that grow.”
