We
have all heard of the Invisible Man. Now we have an invisible car. Well not
completely but pioneering technology is being developed to give Land Rover
drivers a digital vision of the terrain ahead by making the front of the car
‘virtually’ invisible, says a company report.
Jaguar
Land Rover based in the United Kingdom is owned by Tata Motors. Cameras located
in the vehicle’s grille capture data used to feed a Head-Up Display,
effectively creating a ‘see-through’ view of the terrain through the bonnet and
engine bay, breaking new ground in visual driver assistance. The technology,
named Transparent Bonnet by its creators, shows how advanced technology will
take Land Rover’s unrivalled capability to the next level.
The
technology enables a driver climbing a steep incline or manoeuvring in a
confined space to see an augmented reality view capturing not only the terrain
in front of the car but also the angle and position of the front wheels.
Dr
Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology for Jaguar Land Rover,
said: “We believe the next 25 years will be the most exciting and dynamic the
automotive industry has ever experienced. There will be huge strides in
environmental innovation, in safety and capability.
“As
our vehicles become more capable and autonomous off-road, we will ensure the
driver has the confidence to allow the car to continue to progress, over any
terrain. We are developing new technologies including the Transparent Bonnet to
give drivers an augmented view of reality to help them tackle anything from the
toughest off-road route to the tight confines of an urban car park.”
Opening
the doors to Jaguar Land Rover’s advanced research, the Discovery Vision
Concept car is a design and technology showcase which will be unveiled in full
at the New York International Auto Show on April 16, 2014. The concept
demonstrates Land Rover’s design vision for a future family of premium SUVs
built on Land Rover’s key principles of emotive design, unrivalled capability
and ultimate versatility.