A wonderful way to keep kids interested in the outside world rather than glued to a small screen on road trips, this interactive window design lets riders zoom into passing landscapes, test vocabulary skills and make video games out of scenic surroundings. But you really need to see it to understand its potential, so take a look at the short video below:

The core concept is simple: let windows appear simply transparent, then overlay a series of custom functions that can be adjusted to suit different needs and moods. A child (or adult, for that matter) can opt to label passing phenomena, or draw around animals, trees, houses and more while stopped (then let their work slide off the screen when the car starts up again). Video games can also be designed to incorporate elements creating all kinds of augmented reality possibilities.

It can also be turned to purely functional purposes, making that ‘zoom and enhance’ trick we are often fooled by on CSI shows into a real technique for looking closer at things around us. Screenshots can be captured, too — no more fumbling around for a camera while a cool sight passes you by.

Companies like Taptl are adapting the same technologies for boats and other luxury vehicles, but as with anything: what starts out expensive will only get cheaper and more accessible with time. And as vehicles go driverless, these could end up transforming how we view and use front windows, too.