Volkswagen conjuring up adaptive sunshade

Just a day after a clever Jetta owner figured out how to chart his joyrides with a Wiimote, it looks like Volkswagen has a trick up its own sleeve, too. Reportedly, the automaker is developing an "adaptive sun visor" that recognizes the position of the sun and darkens the areas that require it in order to make your drive a less squint-filled one. The technology supposedly works around curves and elevation changes, meaning that leaving your sunglasses behind may not ruin your afternoon commute. As expected, further details are few and far between at the moment, and while there's no set date (nor vehicle) for the innovative sunshade to be launched on, the sun-lovin' Eos wouldn't be a bad guinea pig.

[Via Foursprung]

[theoldAP1 @ Aug 3rd 2007 8:23AM]

das good, still is however still uncertain. das

[theoldap1 @ Aug 3rd 2007 8:26AM]

das good, is however still uncertain. das

[Maestro @ Aug 3rd 2007 8:50AM]

Great...one more thing to break in my always-breaking-down VW.

[Tony @ Aug 3rd 2007 10:15AM]

@Maestro: Sucks to be you... Mine works great. Try maintaining your car more than just pumping gas into it...

[joe @ Aug 3rd 2007 8:53AM]

why not photovoltc tint? the brighter it gets the darker it is

[cDub @ Aug 3rd 2007 8:54AM]

Please tell me those are solar cells.

[Killian @ Aug 3rd 2007 9:12AM]

will it still be under $17000?

[Yubal @ Aug 3rd 2007 10:58AM]

jaja!

[Rand @ Aug 3rd 2007 10:09AM]

@Maestro: GET OUTTA MY HEAD! ;-)

[chadow @ Aug 3rd 2007 11:45AM]

I suppose I will have this in my car one of these days in my next VW. I'm sold on VW quality, innovation, value, and performance. So I assume this will be out when I'm ready to trade my GLI in.

[cephelotron @ Aug 3rd 2007 11:55AM]

I had this idea a few years ago, I'm glad that someone's actually going to try it. I hope it will comver more areas that just the top edge of the windshield. Also the driver's side window would be helpful too

[david @ Aug 3rd 2007 12:07PM]

I love my new Diesel Jetta and this would have been a great thing to already have on it but I guess It'll have to wait. The only downside I can see it that states like Arizona have no-cost glass replacement with the car insurance. A special windshield "could" drive up insurance costs a lot for the car with that windshield. Heavy drivers in rural AZ like me replace windshields almost every year.

[Doggerts @ Aug 3rd 2007 3:45PM]

I wrote a proposal for this in high school, 1994. FINALLY someone's doing it. cDub: those are liquid crystal, not solar cells. The technology is now pretty standard: face tracking via low res image sensors, inexpensive microcontrollers, and tft lcds. Expect to pay at least another $500 for the option on the first models (assuming they come out soon).

[macona @ Aug 3rd 2007 4:07PM]

More than $500.. Way more. Its not like a normal LCD window, this must be done in segments. And can you imagine the cost if you crack your windshield?