Jaguar Land Rover has revealed some of its latest safety technology concepts. To eliminate blind spots it has developed the '360 Virtual Urban Windscreen' using screens embedded in the pillars. It is also looking at enhanced head-up displays including projecting a 'ghost car' on the road to provide navigation instructions without diverting the driver's attention away from the road.
Screens within the A-, B- and C-pillars are linked to cameras covering the car's blind spots. Each screen activates in response to certain situations such as approaching a junction or switching on the indicators. The transparent pillars can be combined with an advanced head-up display; working together the system could project a 'halo' to highlight the movement of other road users.
The 360 Virtual Windscreen can be linked to the Cloud, further enhancing the range of information on offer. Fuel prices and the number of free parking spaces nearby could be displayed, as well as navigation instructions using local landmarks rather than street names.
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Another way to convey navigation instructions is to give the driver a virtual car to follow. The 'Follow-Me Ghost Car Navigation' projects a virtual car on the road to lead the way through every turn. Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology, Jaguar Land Rover, 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 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."