Adding another driving camera need not mean replacing the entire side mirror. Rivian proposes exchanging the insert that holds the blinker for one containing both a turn signal and a camera, while keeping the surrounding housing. That replacement arrangement is described in a patent filing discovered by Carmoses covering a removable module that combines the camera and turn signal.
Rivian previously disclosed mirror indicators alongside an image sensor, with an emphasis on hiding the lamps behind a bezel. The interesting development here is the common, removable carrier and its ability to occupy space previously used by a blinker-only component.
Nothing in the filing names a specific model. We used the Rivian R1T for these renders because its electric pickup layout matches the vehicle described, and its second-generation driving-assistance system already uses cameras.
One Insert, Two Jobs
The proposed unit puts an elongated indicator lens and a small camera next to each other on a shared body. Its visible face sits outside the mirror shell, while mounting features extend inside. Fasteners hold that structure to the housing, allowing the insert to come away when they are removed. The camera also has its own attachment points, and an electrical connector links the module to the vehicle.
For the driver, the turn signal retains its familiar purpose of communicating an intended turn. Alongside it, the camera captures images that can support lane monitoring, object detection and vehicle control. The proposal does not describe a special driver command for the new sensor, nor does it make the camera dependent on the blinker being switched on.
The conventional reflective mirror stays in place. There can also be a separate camera underneath, contributing imagery to a bird’s-eye or surround view. That distinction matters because the small lens beside the indicator has a different stated role from the one helping show the area around the truck during maneuvering.
The combined part can be installed during initial assembly or added afterward. In the replacement example, it occupies the area previously taken by an original blinker unit, without requiring a modified outer housing. Rivian identifies easier maintenance and replacement as benefits of this approach, although it provides no repair-time comparison or dollar savings.
The Lamp Cannot Spoil The View
Putting a flashing light beside a camera creates an obvious packaging constraint. Other road users must be able to see the indicator, but its light must not enter the sensor’s field of view. Rivian addresses this through the relative positions of the two components.
The camera sits at the outer end of the insert, farther from the cabin, with the long lamp between it and the vehicle. Their locations are selected to preserve both signaling visibility and an unobstructed camera view. No special software for removing amber glare is described, and no viewing angle or optical test result is supplied. The proposed solution rests on physical placement.
Fitting The Shell Is Only Half The Upgrade
Rivian’s second-generation R1 platform already combines 11 cameras and five radars. Its Enhanced Highway Assist was introduced as a hands-free feature that still required the driver to watch the road. That existing system provides context for adding and packaging sensors, but the proposed mirror insert establishes no new level of driving automation.
The harder retrofit question concerns the electronics. The filing describes integration with vehicle processing hardware that can handle information from cameras or lights. A part that physically fits an older mirror is therefore only one requirement. Compatibility with a particular truck’s processors, wiring and software remains unestablished, and there is no calibration procedure or supported-model list.
That leaves the strongest case with serviceability. A removable carrier gives the camera and lamp a defined assembly that can be detached while retaining the shell. Whether an owner ultimately pays less depends on parts pricing, labor and calibration, none of which is specified. Rivian’s proposal is a sensible way to package replaceable sensing hardware. Treating it as an upgrade path for older trucks would go further than the engineering supports.
