Cars

GM Wants To Beam Images Onto Touch-Sensitive Car Windows

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1:30PM January 29, 2012 | Logan Booker

Students at Israel’s Bezalel Academy of Art and Design were tasked by General Motors to come up with a way to “help rear seat passengers, particularly children, have a richer experience on the road”. Judging by this video, I’m guessing they stared at the rear seat windows, then their smartphones and then back at the windows and thought “Hey, why not whack some Angry Birds on there and call it a day?”.

OK, so the “Windows Of Opportunity” (WOO) project, as it’s called, has a little more to it than that. The obvious application of touch-sensitive rear windows is to provide distractions for undoubtedly bored passengers. GM, however, is interested in more fulfilling activities, specifically “stimulating awareness, nurturing curiosity and encouraging a stronger connection with the world outside the vehicle”.

This direction was apparently inspired by studies that suggested car passengers feel separated from their external surrounds. As a result, GM’s keen on augmented reality — that is, having the projected images interact with the environment they’re being projected onto. Passengers can then manipulate the virtual elements to complement the real world.

Car windows get enough finger marks on them without encouraging your kids or passengers to gift them with their bodily oils for enjoyment purposes. Other than that, as long as it can’t inadvertently project distractions onto your windshield, I’d be happy to give it a go.

GM says WOO is currently a theoretical endeavour, with nothing slated for production models, but I’m sure if some promising concepts come out of it, there will be engineers slaving away in front of AutoCAD in short order.

[YouTube]

Comments

  • Noddy

    January 29, 2012 at 1:57 PM

    Car windows get enough finger marks on them without encouraging your kids

    Don’t worry about the kids, I think the fact that the windows are so expensive will encourage wondering douche bags to just smash them for funsies!

  • Snapperhead

    January 29, 2012 at 3:10 PM

    Blatant rip off. See here http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/19/toyota-offers-back-seat-passengers-a-new-window-to-the-world/

  • Sally

    January 29, 2012 at 5:43 PM

    This tech could also be used as a HUD for the driver.

  • Franz

    January 29, 2012 at 7:52 PM

    How about getting your kids to read a ####ing book. Remember those? among all the other traditional things to do as a kid in the back seat. Must they be entertained all day every day with electronic gadgets? They’ll take them for granted.
    General Motors, Helping you make your children useless when the power is off.

    • wsDK_II

      January 30, 2012 at 9:22 AM

      + 1

      when i have kids and drive them on holiday with the family, i will want them to play games, read books and generally spend time with the family, not act like they are taking a very long taxi ride.

      tech for the sake of tech is not on.

      • Matt L

        January 30, 2012 at 1:08 PM

        I used to get sick riding in cars as a kid, especially reading. I love looking out the window and believe it or not, I’ve imagined and wanted this in my childhood.

    • Michael

      January 30, 2012 at 1:12 PM

      When I was a kid, I tried reading books on our long trips, and well. The books ended up wearing the contents on my stomach. I ended up listening to my walkman.

  • Rowan

    January 30, 2012 at 1:39 AM

    I wouldn’t mind being able to change all the windows so it looks like you’re travelling through Paris or London, etc.

    • Rob

      January 30, 2012 at 9:06 AM

      I always thought people got motion sickness from reading in a moving vehicle?

      Now who remembers the good ol’ days of taking your GB on a long drive, that’s a cheaper and better way to keep kids entertained IMO.

      P.S. Franz, I’m guessing you must be part of a previous generation but those of us born into the computer world, who have used it our whole lives aren’t magically retarded the second we lose all power.

      • Rob

        January 30, 2012 at 9:07 AM

        D’oh, should have been in reply to Franz.

  • jori

    January 30, 2012 at 2:59 AM

    When I was a kid, we use to hang our heads out the window. I like this idea much better! As far as learning, we all learn in all different aspects.

  • Benny

    January 30, 2012 at 9:16 AM

    One major flaw. If it’s on the window as pictured, the background movement will be very nauseating, especially when urban driving.

  • CraftyNinja

    January 30, 2012 at 1:06 PM

    Interesting. Whether its for kids or adults, its still a good concept.
    Saw it early last year in this video done by Microsoft:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6cNdhOKwi0

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