Virtual Visor (sun-protection hood)

2019: Announcement

At the beginning of January, 2020 Bosch provided as the company approves, a sun-protection hood with artificial intelligence which prevents dazzle of the driver, without disturbing at the same time the overview of the road.

Though cars are equipped with folding sun-protection hoods for a long time, this solution is quite far from an ideal. Normal hoods block not only light from a bright source, but also all upper part of a viewing field of the driver. At the same time the majority of guards is regulated, however it is not so simple to find the necessary slope angle. Bosch provided the device which uses AI for the solution of this problem.

Bosch provided as the company approves, a sun-protection hood with artificial intelligence which prevents dazzle of the driver, without disturbing at the same time the overview of the road

Bosch developed a smart sun-protection hood under the name Virtual Visor which represents the liquid crystal display panel separated into rather large hexagonal areas. In a normal status they are transparent and allow to distinguish objects which are before the driver, but in need of them it is possible to make almost completely opaque.

AI algorithms which are the cornerstone of a system allow to regulate dynamically an inclination of a hood and its capability to suppress flares. The hood works in a complex with the camera which traces provision of the head of the driver. Thanks to data retrieveds a system estimates provision of the main parts of the face and in connection therewith darkens a part of the liquid crystal display panel so that it darkened only those areas of a hood from which light gets into the driver's eyes. At the same time the rest of a hood remains transparent, providing the maximum overview of the road.

At the beginning of development we found out that users configure traditional sun-protection hoods so that those cast a shadow on eyes — the technical expert of Bosch and one of coauthors of Virtual Visor Jason Zink explained. - This opening helped us to simplify the concept of a product and to stimulate development of technology.[1]

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