Audi is no stranger to bringing innovation to its Le Mans efforts, and this year will be no exception as it attempts to claim a record 11th overall victory in the world's most prestigious 24 hour enduro event. In addition to entering two different versions of the latest LMP sports models - a pair of conventional rear-drive R18 ultra TDI turbodiesels and two more of its new all-wheel-drive turbodiesel-electric hybrid, R18 e-tron Quattro variants - the automaker will equip each of its 'round-the-clock road warriors with a new "digital rear-view mirror" system that it believes will help driver's keep better track of surrounding approaching traffic.
Implemented here for the first time in a closed LMP Sports Prototype, Audi's digital rear-view mirror replaces the conventional side optics with a tiny camera mounted in the tail fin of the vehicle and a display screen positioned in the upper windshield area where the inside mirror would normally be. The camera records its view information on electronic "film" and then instantaneously transmits it to the cockpit as digitalized data. There, it appears as a full-color high-definition image on an innovative AMOLED display screen similar to those used in the most sophisticated of today's smartphones.
According to Audi, its motorsport and production arms are working hand-in-hand on the technology, originally fitting an early prototype to their R8 supercar. “The intensity of the demands in motorsport, such as at the Le Mans 24 Hours, will cause such a system to mature at an accelerated pace,” according to Ullrich. “I’m sure that we’ll be able to return valuable findings to our colleagues in Germany.”
Via Wired
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