By Evan Ackerman
TomTom, “the smart choice in personal navigation,” has filed a patent (in Europe) for a car GPS unit with a built-in video camera that integrates driving directions with where you’re actually driving. If you look closely at the terrible patent application image above, you’ll notice that the unit isn’t just projecting an arrow over the camera image, it’s doing something clever and showing how your route turns to the right around building. The next obvious step here is to ditch the little LCD and use a heads-up display or windshield projector, and the next obvious step after that is to get Google to buy TomTom so that Google Street View can get continuous real-time updates from TomTom equipped cars.
[ The Application ] VIA [ Engadget ]
That sounds so cool! TomTom is coming out with great navigation devices. First the 720 with the map share and now the possibility of a built in camera! Love what they are doing!