BREAKING: Land Rover invents “the invisible car” [VIDEO]

No, not invisible in a badass, ninja sort of way, but in an off road driving sort of way. Thanks to the use of cameras, gyros and other features that measure the car’s progress, Land Rover has developed a prototype that makes it easy to track where the rocks and ruts are underneath the car, and, where the front wheels are.

This isn’t the first time that the brits have experimented with loading their cars up with cameras, but it’s the first time that the implementation has lead to this. The Range Rover may have a camera at every corner imaginable, but, as Land Rover is hinting, the new Discovery might get this bit as an option somewhere down the road. For now, it comes in the form of the Discovery Vision Concept, which is due to show up at the 2014 New York International Auto Show next week. If you don’t believe us, check out the video and press release after the jump.

-By: Sawyer Sutton

 

  • Land Rover reveals Transparent Bonnet virtual imaging concept
  • New level of driver awareness with a ‘see-through’ augmented reality view of the terrain ahead, making the front of the car ‘virtually’ invisible from inside the cabin
  • Technology provides full visibility of what is underneath and in front of the car, with total clarity of otherwise hidden obstacles
  • Transparent Bonnet is part of a suite of new concept technologies to be showcased in Land Rover’s Discovery Vision Concept car at the New York International Motor Show

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.

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 16th April 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. From the city to the sand dunes, Land Rover’s new, driver-assisting technology will enable safer, smarter and more enjoyable driving in the SUVs of tomorrow.

Follow the excitement on Land Rover’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages and join the conversation using #ReadyToDiscover.

Sawyer Sutton

Sawyer Sutton is a long-time Vermonter and lover of cars, big machinery, and photography. These are his words on cars as Senior Editor of egmCarTech.

sawyer has 319 posts and counting.See all posts by sawyer