Over the past decade, road trips have become much less painful for backseat passengers  due to all of the handheld technology (Gameboys, iPhones, DVD players, etc.) we now have, but according to GM, psychological studies have indicated that car passengers often feel disconnected from their environment.

In response to these studies, the GM Research and Development department challenged researchers and students from the FUTURE LAB at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel to conceptualize new ways to help rear seat passengers, particularly children, have a richer experience on the road. Thus, the Windows of Opportunity (WOO) Project was born. And believe me, Texas Chevrolet owners, you’re going to be blown away with what they came up with… interactive car window displays.

In a GM press release, Tom Seder, GM R&D lab group manager for human-machine interface said, “Traditionally, the use of interactive displays in cars has been limited to the driver and front passenger, but we see an opportunity to provide a technology interface designed specifically for rear seat passengers. Advanced windows that are capable of responding to vehicle speed and location could augment real world views with interactive enhancements to provide entertainment and educational value.”

Before you get too excited, I must tell you that GM currently doesn’t have any plans to put this into production. The Bezalel students were given free reign to create applications for this interactive window without having to worry about whether it could be mass produced or not. So it’s uncertain whether this idea will ever come to light. Still, the design and idea is pretty incredible.

The apps the Bezalel students developed include:

• Otto, an animated character projected over passing scenery that responds to real-time car performance, weather and landscape. With Otto, passengers can learn about their environment in fun, playful ways.
• Foofu, an app that allows passengers to create, explore and discover through finger drawing on window steam.
• Spindow, an app that provides its users a peek into other users’ windows around the globe in real time.
• Pond, an app that allows passengers to stream and share music with other cars on the road, download favorite tracks, and share messages with other passengers on the road.

GM released this awesome video detailing the project and showing us how the students simulated a vehicle environment. Check it out, Dallas Ft Worth Chevy lovers.

[Source: General Motors]

Thanks to Cassidy Schafer for contributing.