Japan has become the first country (or is it one of the first?) to legally allow automakers to offer cars without any side mirrors but instead fitted with cameras on either side to aid in rearward visibility.
The new ruling, according to a report by Automotive News, will mean that carmakers can finally, at least in pioneering markets like Japan, omit side mirrors – something we’ve seen multiple manufacturers do very often with new concepts and pre-production prototypes, but due to safety requirements have to add back in before they go on sale.
Now that camera and display technology has become sufficiently high-resolution and cost-effective, the notion of building in screens on either side of the vehicle to provide visual feedback in lieu of mirrors will at least be only marginally more expensive.
The benefits of removing side mirrors go beyond just aesthetic with improved aerodynamics and, consequently, fuel economy to be gained. More advanced vehicular spatial recognition technology such as Blind Spot Monitoring and radar cruise control coupled with 360-degree and fisheye reversing cameras mean that most of the car’s surroundings can be adapted to a glanceable view to the driver.
Should a design and operation method be efficient enough to not need the driver to turn their head or gaze away from the road ahead be developed, the replacement of side mirrors could even have a positive impact on vehicle safety as well.
The prospect of these ‘mirrorless cars’ have piqued the interest of several major technology suppliers to the automotive industry such as Ichikoh Industries of Japan and Robert Bosch GmbH of Germany, who see a very lucrative opportunity to become the pioneering force behind the widespread adoption of integrated digital mirrors by both motorists and the government.
Ali Ordoobadi, CEO of Ichikoh, said: "Our job is to improve the visibility of the drive, with lighting and mirrors, but now also with cameras. There is a switch of technology, a kind of rupture. It's a really new segment with higher content, and that means higher revenue opportunities. This is the trend, and we have to be in front of the others."
The ubiquity and quality of these screens mean that the ergonomic dilemma of mirrors having to be fixed in a certain location and at a certain angle do not apply. As such these displays and cameras can show pristine video with very low latency at up to 60 frames per second with features such as real-time optical stabilisation on higher-end units.
With Japan one of the first major markets to allow the use of ‘mirrorless cars’, it shouldn’t be long until we hear wind of other countries – possible in North American, Europe, and Asia – joining the bandwagon.
For reference, we've included some pictures of concept vehicles from Acura (Honda), Lexus, and Porsche. Notice the absence of traditional side mirrors.
