It may be a while before self-driving cars fill the roads, but that doesn’t mean that smart technology can’t make roads safer now. Consider Jaguar Land Rover, which just announced an update to its previous augmented reality efforts with the new “360 Virtual Urban Windscreen” research project. The project takes the main idea from Land Rover’s original “Transparent Bonnet” concept.
It’s hard to spot every possible road hazard. Mirrors and cameras will show what’s behind you, but your car’s roof pillars can still hide careless pedestrians and aggressive drivers. They won’t be issues if Jaguar’s 360-degree Virtual Urban Windscreen comes to fruition. The update to the company’s windshield project uses cameras to create “transparent” pillars which highlight threats you can’t see, giving you an extra moment to take evasive action. It promises distraction-free navigation, too — the screen generates a ghost car that shows you where to turn, as if you’re simply following a friend. The technology is still in mid-development and probably won’t be as sleek as Jaguar’s concept video suggests, but it hints at a future where you’re rarely caught off-guard while driving.
