Skip advert
Advertisement

We put the MINI Augmented Vision goggles to the test

We get hands-on with MINI’s Augmented Vision virtual reality glasses at the Shanghai show – is this the next big thing?

While other manufacturers were launching new cars at the 2015 Shanghai Motor Show, MINI’s focus was on technology. It brought along its new ‘Augmented Vision’ system – a pair of hi-tech goggles to you and I – designed to offer seamless navigation from your front door to your final destination, make the sides of the car see-through (I’ll explain later) and project other vital information directly into your field of vision. It might sound like a twist on Google Glass, only with bigger and sillier-looking headwear, but Dr Joerg Preissinger, the project leader, insists it’s quite different. “It’s very different because it’s basically like a head-up display, but with a much larger field of view,” he explained. “There are two types on information displayed, the first type is fixed and moves when you move your head, the second is fixed to the outside world, so it highlights a parking space or a turning, and stays there even when your head moves.”

It’s the latter, developed with Qualcomm and using is ‘Vuforia’ tracking technology that’s seriously impressive, creating pop-up digital annotations to the road ahead on the simulator we tried. Landmarks are labelled as you drive past, arrows whoosh around corners in 3D and free parking spaces glow blue. And that’s not even the clever stuff.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Using a series of forward and rear-facing cameras, neatly integrated into a badge above the front wheel arch and the wing mirrors, it can project an image of the outside when you look at the door. Turn your head to the right, for example, and you can see exactly how close the front wheel is to the kerb.

 Once inside the car the glasses connect automatically, transferring any navigation data and letting you answer questions – such as whether you want a message read out loud – by using the buttons on the steering wheel. Because the technology built into the glasses, with a forward-facing camera and a Snapdragon processor, is basically the same as a tablet there are some clever functions outside the car, too. Look at a poster for a music gig and it will tell you whether it’s sold out or not and offer the venue as a destination. Don’t expect to see them on the options list anytime soon though. “When the technology arrives is not a decision for MINI, it’s up to the electronics industry,” said Preissinger. “A lot of companies are working on such technology, but who knows when it will arrive. When it does, expect the glasses to be smaller and lighter, too.”

Get the top news stories from the 2015 Shanghai Motor Show...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best classic cars - the classics we’d most love to own
Best classic cars - July 25

Best classic cars - the classics we’d most love to own

These are our favourite classic cars, from British beauties to V8-engined beasts
Best cars & vans
8 Jul 2025
Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2025, 2026 and beyond
New cars coming soon header image

Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2025, 2026 and beyond

These are the most important new cars headed our way, from brands including Audi, BMW, Dacia, Ferrari, Ford, Skoda and more
Best cars & vans
23 Jun 2025
Chinese cars can’t match their European rivals when it comes to engineering
Opinion - Shanghai Auto Show

Chinese cars can’t match their European rivals when it comes to engineering

This new brand of cars might have battery tech on their side, but European buyers want much more than that
Opinion
25 Apr 2025
Leapmotor T03 set for radical redesign sooner than expected
Leapmotor T03 being driven in the UK - front tracking

Leapmotor T03 set for radical redesign sooner than expected

City car has only been on sale a matter of weeks, but plans are afoot to bring the design in line with rest of the range
News
25 Apr 2025

Most Popular

Ford Escort Mexico gets new lease of life with MST Sports
MST Ford Escort - front 3/4

Ford Escort Mexico gets new lease of life with MST Sports

While not officially Fords, the MST Mk1 and Mk2 Sports should drive as sharply as they look
News
7 Jul 2025
Car Deal of the Day: Skoda Octavia vRS is the consummate all-rounder and only £255 a month!
Skoda Octavia vRS - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: Skoda Octavia vRS is the consummate all-rounder and only £255 a month!

A three-time Auto Express Family Car of the Year winner, paired with Golf GTI power, is our Deal of the Day for 6 July
News
6 Jul 2025
New Volvo XC60 2025 facelift review: big-selling SUV gets a new lease of life
Volvo XC60 facelift - front tracking

New Volvo XC60 2025 facelift review: big-selling SUV gets a new lease of life

This refreshed Swedish SUV focuses on familiar areas of strength to take on BMW and Audi
Road tests
4 Jul 2025