JLR showcases more ‘invisible’ tech
Whether driving down a highway or cruising in the city, there is always the risk of a vehicle or pedestrain getting in the various blind spots. The way cars are desgined today, the ever present A-, B-, and C-pillars (sometimes even D-pillars) are structurally required, though they hamper lines of sight.
In answer to this, Jaguar and Land Rover engineers have come up technologies designed to provide a 360 degree view to the driver. JLR had showcased their invisible bonnet technology on the Discovery Concept which used grille-mounted cameras, feeding info to a HUD on the inside. It was meant to aid those off-roading to see exactly where the tyres are and see the terrain right underneath the front.
Jaguar has pulled off something similar now as the team has installed a screen in the surface of each pillar, which would display a live video feed from cameras mounted on the outside of the pillar, effectively nullifying the blind-spot created. By combining the transparent pillars with an advanced high quality heads-up display, the driver would be able to see pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles, all around the car. Apart from the view, when the driver indicates to change direction, when they move their head to look over their shoulder during an overtaking manouver, or as the vehicle approaches a junction, the system would automatically make the respective side’s pillar transparent.
Along with the transparent pillar, JLR has also introduced the 360 Virtual Urban Windscreen (VUW) connected via Cloud. The driver will get information ranging from petrol station prices, to the number of parking spaces available, via the VUW by connecting the car to roadside infrastructure and businesses in the urban landscape. The connected car will also use more visible landmarks, such as pubs or shops, rather than just road signs or street names.
Chasing the car at front is unarguably the best way to reach a destination without constantly distractinbng yourself by keeping one eye on the navigation. The ‘Follow-MeGhost Car Navigation’, currently under development, employs this idea. It projects an image of a vehicle in front of the driver’s car for them to follow, turn-by-turn, to the destination.
These new research projects are expected to take the vehicle safety to the next level. At the same time, the developments also raise questions on whether this will lead to more driver distraction. The latest technologies are expected to feature on future models from the British marque.
