Most people underestimate how powerful the technology is that they hold in their hands every day. Smartphones are ridiculously powerful and are making it possible for more automation in our lives. It won’t be long before a smartphone becomes our main control panel that works to control everything in our lives. There are already many smart home devices available and even automated driving is getting closer to becoming a reality. One thing that may soon become a reality is a smart motorcycle windshield that uses your phone to power a virtual dashboard.

All about virtual dashboards

Every vehicle has a dashboard, but the amount of information that can be displayed on it is limited. If we were able to use our vehicle mirrors to display information being stored and run through our smartphones, there would be unlimited information available. This is especially true of motorcycles where there isn’t much of a dashboard making it nearly impossible to get valuable information in front of you while on the road.

This is what Samsung considered when developing the Samsung Smart Windshield. It allows the motorcyclist to connect a smartphone to the motorcycle and then receive information on the windshield at the bottom of it. This includes anything from turn by turn directions to incoming messages, according to PC World. It is just one more way we are seeing smartphones connected into more of our everyday lives.

Is it safe?

The biggest question on everyone’s minds is whether or not this kind of windshield will really be safer or if it will be more of a distraction. PC Magazine suggests that it isn’t safe for a motorcyclist to be looking at the bottom of the windshield instead of the road and could potentially cause more accidents. Though this may be true, the concept behind providing more information to a driver in a less distracting way than physically holding up a phone will reduce accidents and help protect more people.

The really cool thing with this technology is the application it has for other vehicles more so than with motorcycles. Using a phone while driving (whether texting, checking email, or even trying to get navigation set up to a location) is extremely dangerous and is a huge problem throughout the country. Even though it is illegal in many states, it is still common practice. Finding a way to make smartphones more accessible to people while driving without them having to physically take their hands of the wheel to fumble around with their phone will help protect a lot more people and can give more accessibility to things while on the road. There is the potential for you to use it as a navigation system that alerts you to accidents or construction along your route and give you alternatives. The options are endless, and it may very well protect people from accidents that are happening every day right.

Source: PC World