JLR develops technology to negate blindspots

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has revealed details of what it calls the '360 Virtual Urban Windscreen'. The technology was first showcased in the Land Rover Discovery Vision concept. It is a technology that will work to give the driver an unobstructed view on all the sides, thereby negating blind spots created by the pillars inside the car. The technology will use screens rooted in the A, B and C pillars that will receive live feed from the cameras that have been installed at angles than generally get covered by traditional blindspots. JLR says that the technology will allow the driver to have a clear idea about the cyclists, pedestrians and other vehicles around the car. When the driver turns his head in the direction he wants to go, the system will automatically sense it, and will make the necessary pillars 'transparent'. The system, when connected to the cloud, can also display information like parking spaces available nearby or fuel prices at the nearest station.

The British carmaker is also working on a ‘Follow-Me Ghost Car Navigation'. It uses the windscreen to project a vehicle’s halo in front of the car for the driver to follow to their destination. Commenting on the very useful nature of this technology in urban settings, Wolfgang Epple, director of R&D, JLR, said, "Driving on city streets can be a stressful experience, but 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 by… We want to present all this information on a heads-up display in the driver's eye-line, so the driver doesn't have to seek it out himself and take his eyes off the road ahead."