General Motors insists the ’16 Cadillac CT6 large luxury sedan will be a technological tour de force, and today the automaker reveals another whiz-bang tidbit: the car will usher to market an interior rearview mirror that streams high-resolution video to remove obstructions such as second-row passengers and roof pillars.
“The closest comparison to this kind of rear vision would be driving a convertible with the top down,” Cadillac CT6 Executive Chief Engineer Travis Hester says in a statement today announcing the technology.
“In addition to the increased field of view, the technology eliminates any rear seat, rear pillar or passenger obstructions, allowing the driver an unimpeded view of the lanes behind and traditional blind spots,” Hester says.
GM claims the mirror, which can revert back to its traditional electrochromatic state with the flip of a toggle, improves the driver’s field of vision by an estimated 300%, or roughly four times greater than a standard rearview mirror.
According to GM, the camera’s video feed reduces glare and delivers a sharper image in low-light situations compared with traditional rearview mirrors. It is a 240-pixel TFT-LCD display with 171 pixels per inch (25.4 mm), together with an HD camera that enhances rearview lane width and maximizes low-light situations.
The camera uses a water-shedding hydrophobic coating to remain clean and maintain visibility, regardless of the driving conditions.
GM says researchers and engineers were awarded 10 patents for the innovation, one for the streaming video and nine for video processing.
Due late next year, the CT6 also will bring to market GM’s first application of its Super Cruise technology.
The autonomous-driving feature will permit hands-off lane following, braking and speed control in certain highway conditions. The intent of Super Cruise is to increase the comfort of an attentive driver in both bumper-to-bumper traffic and long trips.
GM expects to offer Super Cruise on the CT6 in the ’17-model timeframe.
The car will make its worldwide debut at the New York auto show next year and production starts in late 2015, with salable units hitting dealers in early 2016.
