Jaguar love to tease use with the crazy pieces of kit that they are working on behind the scenes and the latest sneak peek looks like something taken straight out of a Star Trek film. Jaguar is looking at new ways to reduce distractions for Jaguar drivers, particularly while using the cars Sat-Nav features.
This next-generation head-up display technology would be able to beam safety information, speed limits and satellite navigation instructions directly on to the driver's windscreen while the passengers of the car would be able to stream movies in 3D directly from the back of the car.
When the weather is tricky and the lighting isn’t ideal, it can sometimes be really dangerous for a driver to turn their head down into the centre console to acknowledge things like lane departure warnings or hazard detection alerts, especially while following directions from a Sat Nav. This next-generation functionality - which is entirely in its concept stages - would work to reduce the dangers that come with distracted drivers.
Augmented reality is being introduced by several vehicle manufacturers who are trying to incorporate the sat-nav instructions in real-time to a projected image of the road ahead, however, no manufacturer has sampled a concept quite as overwhelming as Jaguar’s, as you can tell from the photographs.
Jaguar has announced that studies conducted over in Germany conclude that using ‘Stereoscopic’ 3D images in a vehicle can significantly improve the reaction time of the driver.
Valerian Meijering, Human Machine Interface & Head-Up Display Researcher for Jaguar Land Rover, said: “Development in virtual and augmented reality is moving quickly. This consortium takes some of the best technology available and helps us to develop applications suited to the automotive sector. Not only does it provide a much richer experience for customers, but it also forms part of our Destination Zero roadmap; helping us to move towards a safer, more intuitive and smarter future, for everybody.”
Further down the line, Jaguar Land Rover believes they will be able to utilize head and eye-tracking technology too, which will make ride-sharing a genuinely viable and entertaining experience. Users would be able to enter an autonomous ride-sharing vehicle and select their entertainment. Several passengers would be able to simultaneously stream their 3D entertainment completely independently without the need for screened-off booths or even those 3D shutter glasses that cinema-goers will be familiar with.
These efforts are all part of Jaguar land Rovers Destination Zero incentive to make the roads safer, cleaner and more sustainable with zero congestion, zero accidents and zero emissions. JLR will achieve this through ‘relentless innovation to adapt their products and services to the rapidly changing world.
There is no word on when this next-generation heads-up display technology will be released or even properly developed, but it shows JLR looking far, far into the future. So, what do you think: cool technology, or overdeveloped?
