- Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept car previews radical future
SUV technologies
- Even greater on- and off-road capability for future Land Rover
SUVs
- Next generation Terrain Response includes infrared laser
scanning to predict terrain, and WadeAid to predict water
depth
- Tough off-roading can be done remotely –
with driver controlling vehicle from outside
- Human Machine Interface (HMI) includes voice and gesture
control
- 'Transparent Bonnet' virtual imaging concept improves off-road
visibility for Land Rover and helps high-speed driving for
Jaguars
New York City, USA, 14:00 EDT, 15th April 2014.
On the eve of the New York International Auto Show, Jaguar Land
Rover has previewed some of the advanced research being developed
to deliver Intelligent on-and off-road driving for customers of
tomorrow.
The technologies include remote control off-road driving,
predictive infrared laser scanning, gesture and voice control
activation, smart glass that transforms the connectivity of the
interior experience, and semi-autonomous driving, both on- and
off-road.
"The car of the future will become more capable, cleaner, more
connected, more desirable and more intelligent," says Dr Wolfgang
Epple, Director of Research and Technology at Jaguar Land
Rover.
"These are the five themes that are leading the research we are
undertaking at Jaguar Land Rover today.
"We are showcasing some very exciting new technologies on the
Discovery Vision Concept car. While some have real potential and
others are just concepts, both Jaguar and Land Rover will continue
to set new standards and continue to grow by bringing these new
technologies and innovations to our customers."
Next generation Terrain Response predicts off-road
conditions and water depth
For the Land Rover brand, a priority is to push the boundaries of
its renowned class-leading breadth of capabilities.
The next generation of Land Rover's iconic multi-mode
terrain-tackling system Terrain Response could
be enhanced by predictive Terrain Scanning, which
uses infrared lasers in the Discovery Vision Concept's front fog
lamps to scan the ground in front of the vehicle.
These sensors analyse the type of terrain about to be traversed
and assess and predict the vehicle's reaction to it. The vehicle
can then automatically engage the appropriate traction system to
best deal with the terrain ahead. A map of the terrain can be
displayed on the high-definition cluster screen, providing the
driver with a visual reference.
Wade Aid takes Land Rover's current Wade Sensing
technology a stage further by predicting the depth of water before
the car enters. A new sensory system would use lasers to judge the
depth of a stream or pond and let the driver know the feasibility
of the intended wading manoeuvre even before the tyres get wet.
Drive off-road by 'Remote Control'
Jaguar Land Rover is working hard on autonomous vehicles that, if
the driver wishes, can drive themselves. "We see the autonomous car
taking away the boring, the tedious, the routine part of the
journey while allowing the driver to actively stay in contact, do
some work, or relax with the vehicle's infotainment system," says
Dr Epple. "But when the driver wants to enjoy the driving
experience, our new driver assistance systems will give them more
because customers will still want to be engaged with their vehicle.
A smarter car should not take away driving pleasure
– it should enhance the driver's experience on-
and off-road."
These driving aids include All-Terrain Progress
Control, which allows for semi-autonomous off-road
driving at slow speed. It is a low-speed all-terrain cruise control
that vectors torque to maintain a steady speed chosen by the
driver. This system can be used with the driver in the vehicle, or
in an extreme off-road situation, the driver may decide that it is
safer and easier to inch the vehicle over obstacles from an outside
vantage point by Remote Control. This allows the
driver to become his or her own off-road spotter, controlling the
vehicle at very low speed from outside the car, using a tablet or
smartphone, or a rotary control removed from the vehicle
itself. Remote Control could also be used as a
parking aid or when reversing up to a trailer.
"Jaguar Land Rover's journey to 'autonomous' driving began
nearly 20 years ago when Jaguar was the first to market with
Adaptive Cruise Control in the XK in 1996," says Dr Epple. "Today
we already offer a range of driver assistance technologies\* that
enable driving with optimum efficiency and reduce the potential for
accidents."
Reducing driver-induced errors is the key reason for developing
more intelligent vehicles, as 99 per cent of accidents are caused
by driver error.
"The new driver assistance technologies we will roll out in the
coming years have the potential to reduce accidents to zero, but we
will ensure the excitement and enjoyment of driving will not be
taken away as cars become more autonomous," says Dr Epple. "An
intelligent Jaguar or Land Rover future vehicle will not take away
driving pleasure. Instead it will enhance the driver's experience
and suit the driver's mood or needs on- and off-road. The
intelligent car can take away the less stimulating parts of the
journey, but it will not simply perform a robotic function.
"Our vision is to offer a choice of an engaged or autonomous
drive," adds Dr Epple. "Ultimately this means the car could drive
itself if the driver chooses, and have intelligent systems that can
be adjusted for a more engaging and involved drive. A Jaguar Land
Rover Intelligent vehicle will become a reality within the next 10
years."
Radical Human Machine Interface (HMI) includes 'Smart'
glass
Smart glass is used in the entire glasshouse of the Land Rover
Discovery Vision Concept car – in all the
windows, the panoramic roof and, allied to Head-Up Display (HUD)
technology, in the windscreen.
Dr Epple believes it offers numerous advantages, including in-car
information and improved visibility. Cameras in the car can project
video images onto the smart glass or the HUD. These can make
awkward manoeuvres, such as reversing around a corner, much easier.
The 'smart' glass can also carry switchgear, which only becomes
visible when a finger gets close to the glass.
"If you are driving past a landmark like the Empire State
Building, you could imagine a Wikipedia page appearing on the smart
glass, and a rear seat passenger swiping that information from the
window to their infotainment screen or tablet," says Dr Epple.
The smart phone-style user interface will be widely used in the
motor industry: "Look around and it's obvious most people know how
to use a smart phone or tablet," says Dr Epple. "Tablet computers
and smart phones will merge with the car to provide both the
functionality of the device plus the functionality of the car's
control systems. This will have the happy effect of greatly
simplifying car interiors. With the recent Range Rover and Range
Rover Sport, our designers pushed extremely hard to reduce the
number of buttons and switches by more than 50 per cent. This trend
will continue."
The Discovery Vision Concept HMI includes gesture and
voice control
The doors and tailgate of the Discovery Vision Concept are all
activated by gesture control, as are a number of other functions.
"We recognise that it is substantially more intuitive to use
gestures than to press a button or turn a switch," Dr Epple
says.
Gesture control will become a reality on Jaguar Land Rover
vehicles in the near future. The controls recognise
designated hand or finger movements, eliminating the chance of
unintentionally triggering functions.
"Gesture control is only one of many interesting possibilities,"
says Dr Epple. "In the next 25 years we will use gaze and
biometrics to interact with the vehicle. Speech control will also
play a more important role. The almost unlimited processing power
of The Cloud will enable more sophisticated algorithms for speech
recognition and interaction than could ever exist on board the car.
The Cloud offers the solution to next-generation voice recognition
systems."
'Transparent Bonnet' virtual imaging concept improves
visibility and positioning of car
The numerous driver assistance technologies all showcased on the
Discovery Vision Concept are created to improve the ease, enjoyment
and safety of driving. One of the most intriguing is
the Transparent Bonnet, virtual imaging concept
vastly improving the driver's visibility at the front of the
car.
Cameras under the vehicle's grille send video of the terrain
being traversed to the Head-Up Display in the windscreen, allowing
the driver to see terrain normally obscured by the bonnet and
engine, and to see the direction of the front wheels.
The idea has relevance on the road, too. On a Jaguar, this new
generation Head-Up Display could improve performance driving by
projecting road guidance or the racing line in front of the car,
ideal for track work. It also helps a driver 'see around corners',
as the camera can give the driver a preview of what's upcoming.
Laser guidance allows communication with other
drivers
As we move towards greater levels of autonomy, Jaguar Land Rover
recognises it is important to find new ways to communicate visually
with other road users.
The Discovery Vision Concept features Laser
Referencing, which uses laser light tuned to specific colours
in the visible spectrum to project images onto the road that can be
seen by both the driver and other road users. This has numerous
applications, including projecting warning triangles onto the
tarmac behind the car for other motorists to see in the event of a
stoppage or in fog. The system can also project images onto roads
and walls to help parking or driving in congested spaces, or to
help the driver judge tight gaps between obstacles off-road.
Waterproof leather upholstery and practical wood veneer
floor
The first Range Rover and early Land Rovers were renowned for their
functional 'hose out' interiors.
Though hardly appropriate for a premium vehicle, they were
certainly practical, especially after tough off-roading in muddy
conditions.
The Discovery Vision Concept has an interior that is premium
– and highly practical. Design Director and
Chief Creative Officer Gerry McGovern and his team chose specially
developed Foglizzo leather for the upholstery. It not only looks
and feels luxurious; it's also water proof and dirt proof. The
unusual wood veneer floor is described by McGovern as 'surprisingly
practical' and easier to clean than conventional carpet.
Also highly innovative is the 'fold and slide' seating
configuration, which allows for limousine-like four seats, or a
five, six- or seven-seat configuration.
Discovery Vision Concept to Star at New York
Show
The Discovery Vision Concept will be one of the stars of the Jaguar
Land Rover stand at the New York International Auto Show, which
opens to the public on April 18.
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