Jaguar Land Rover introduces 360 Virtual Urban Windscreen which uses cutting-edge augmented reality tech to literally eliminate blind spots, enabling drivers to see ‘through’ pillars and spot hazards more easily.
Already in advanced stages, the project aims to re-display areas the driver cannot see – including on the classic blind-spot areas of the pillars at the edge of the windscreen, where drivers often fail to observe cyclists and pedestrians.
When the driver indicates to change direction, moves their head to look over their shoulder during an overtake, or as the vehicle approaches a junction, the system would automatically make the left or right-hand side pillars transparent.
The 360 Virtual Urban Windscreen technology will rely on the ability to film what is going on outside the car and instantly recreate the image over the blind spots, effectively making the pillars invisible.
“Our ultimate aim is to reduce road accidents and enhance the urban driving experience” explains Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology at JLR.
He continues “If we can keep the driver’s eyes on the road ahead and present information in a non-distracting way, we can help drivers make better decisions in the most demanding and congested driving environments”.
Jaguar Land Rover has plans to enable the entire navigational system to be powered by its smart windscreen display. The Windscreen might also include a Follow-Me Ghost Car Navigation System, which would project the image of a car onto the road ahead. The driver would set it to drive to a location, then follow the car displayed on the windscreen.
By connecting the windscreen to the internet too, it’s possible that it could even present information about roadside infrastructure and businesses in the urban landscape, such as the number of empty parking bays in the nearest car park, or the cost of fuel.
Driving on city streets can be a stressful experience, “imagine being able to drive across town without having to look at road signs, or be distracted trying to locate a parking space as you drive,” added Dr Epple.
“We want to present all of this information on a Heads-Up Display in the driver’s eye-line, so the driver doesn’t have to seek it out for themselves and take their eyes off the road ahead”.
