Nissan Unveils Rearview Mirror that Can Switch to Camera View

Nissan Motor Co. is preparing to commercialize a rearview mirror that can be turned into an liquid crystal display monitor at the push of a button.

The technology, dubbed the Nissan Smart mirror, offers a rear view uninhibited by the C-pillars or occupants and other objects in the rear seat. Nissan says the camera also provides a clear image in spite of dim light, bad weather or the glare from headlights or sunlight.

The company will debut the technology on Tuesday at the Geneva auto show. Nissan plans to offer the system in Japan this spring as a dealer-installed option and introduce it to global markets in 2015.

The switchable two-mode device enables it to be used in markets where safety standards require a conventional inside rearview mirror.

When turned off, the unit acts as a standard mirror. But the driver can use a switch on the bottom edge of the mirror frame to replace the mirrored image with a full-frame LCD built into the mirror.

The display receives its image from a high-resolution camera designed with a resolution of 1.3 million-pixels and a unique 4:1 aspect ratio that fits the proportions of a rearview mirror frame. Nissan says it used a special technology to eliminate blurring that would otherwise occur when the LCD and conventional mirror share the same outside surface.