How Smart Rearview Mirrors Work

The Nissan Smart Mirror is the first system of its kind, although, as we've mentioned, various vehicle periphery camera systems have been around for a while. Even though vehicle cameras are helpful in a variety of situations, the Nissan Smart Mirror system offers advantages over other camera systems. Its biggest advantage is its simplicity. The additional viewpoints are presented in a way that drivers are already familiar with -- the display looks just like a regular rearview mirror. Drivers don't need to shift their eyes to a screen in the center console, or to a projected image that hovers awkwardly in front of the windshield. The Nissan Smart Mirror is unlikely to cause distraction to the driver, because it's displayed in an intuitive and familiar way. And the switch is right on the mirror itself, within easy reach, so it can be activated quickly. Unlike other rear camera systems, there's no need to fumble through an infotainment system's nested menus or use voice commands just to change the viewpoint.

Nissan developed a new camera specifically for the Smart Mirror system because in early versions of the system, engineers discovered that existing components didn't match the system's unique needs. The LCD monitor had a constraint from the very beginning -- it had to fit inside a mirror housing, which is a different size and shape than a typical console-mounted screen. When images from a standard wide-angle camera were tested on this new LCD screen, they gave a low-resolution image that didn't achieve Nissan's objectives. So Nissan set to work on a narrow-angle camera that would provide the proper size, shape and resolution. Nissan also had to come up with a new LCD screen that had a suitable aspect ratio, so that the images from the camera were displayed in the correct height and width proportions. This enables the Smart system's camera to offer a wider view with no obstructions. Typical visual obstacles, like tall backseat passengers and the car's C-pillars, aren't a problem anymore, and the camera also provides more clarity in bad weather, without additional complications like foggy windows or the kind of slush the rear wiper just can't clear fast enough. Nissan says the camera is also useful in situations with awkward lighting, such as sunrise, sunset and even glare from other cars' headlights.

The actual mirror meets federal regulations in its "normal" form. And when the camera's on, the display looks, for the most part, like the regular mirror. However, an indicator in the upper right corner of the display reminds the driver which view is activated, which helps reduce distractions and potential confusion.

The United States debut of the Smart Mirror system was at the 2014 New York Auto Show in April, and around that time, the Nissan Smart Mirror won the 2014 Traffic Safety Achievement Award from the World Traffic Safety Symposium. This organization seeks to recognize interesting safety innovations in the automotive industry with the potential to save lives. So, the system's safety potential is already being rewarded -- and that's before it's even available.

But there are even more benefits that have yet to be fully recognized. Nissan says the Smart Mirror system solves other problems, too, by unlocking new possibilities. The Smart Rearview Mirror offers new opportunities in car design, in ways that aren't yet immediately apparent. When car designers don't have to worry so much about constraints like C-pillar width affecting drivers' blind spots, they have more freedom to come up with new and innovative designs. But they're not experimenting just for the sake of adventure. Car designs have to balance the priorities of driver visibility and aerodynamics, but when drivers have other means of visibility, the scales can be tipped a little. This gives Nissan the potential to come up with new and more aerodynamic cars, which will in turn improve fuel efficiency. To test that potential, the Smart Mirror system is going to run some real-world miles before it starts hitting production cars on the street -- although it'll be a high-pressure situation. Nissan's motorsports program, NISMO, plans to implement the Smart system into the ZEOD RC vehicle that will be competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other races this year. The race team gets to tinker with the car to try to improve its aerodynamics, and the team is also eager to see if the drivers think the experience is useful on the track.

If Nissan succeeds with this new technology, it doesn't mean rearview cameras as we know them will go away. In fact, the United States will require rearview cameras on all new cars by 2018 [source: Davies]. Nissan hasn't yet announced if they'll be licensing this technology to other auto manufacturers, and so far, no competitors have revealed plans for a similar system. But if Nissan's Smart Mirror continues to impress, this simple and intuitive system might become a popular option to meet new federal regulations, especially if it works as intended -- simple and efficient, with as few distractions as possible.