Virtual windscreen technology in cars

You might think that this technology isn’t that far fetched anymore. And I think you are right. The first examples of cars which use head-up displays are already here. But Jaguar and Land Rover are taking this all one step further. This is how Jaguar and Landrover introduced it.

The ‘Jaguar Virtual Windscreen’ concept uses the entire windscreen as a display so the driver’s eyes need never leave the road.  High quality hazard, speed and navigation icons could all be projected onto the screen together. For performance drivers, imagery that could aid track driving includes:

- Racing line and braking guidance. Virtual racing lines on the windscreen appear to be marked on the track ahead for optimum racing line, with changes in color to indicate braking guidance.
- Ghost car racing. Improve your lap times by racing a ‘ghost car’ visualization of your car on a previous lap, or compete against a lap uploaded from another driver.
- Virtual cones can be laid out on the track ahead for driver training. These could be moved as the driver’s ability improves.

Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology for Jaguar Land Rover said: “We are working on research projects that will give the driver better information to enhance the driving experience. By presenting the highest quality imagery possible, a driver need only look at a display once. Showing virtual images that allow the driver to accurately judge speed and distance will enable better decision-making and offer real benefits for every day driving on the road, or the track.” 

Jaguar Land Rover is developing a gesture control system to keep the driver’s eyes on the road and reduce distraction by limiting the need to look at or feel for buttons and switches to press. Jaguar Land Rover’s gesture control research uses E-Field Sensing, which is based on the latest capacitive discharge touch screens and gives much greater accuracy than ever before. A smartphone today detects the proximity of a user’s finger from 5mm. The Jaguar Land Rover system increases the range of the sensing field to around 15cm which means the system can be used to accurately track a user’s hand and any gestures it makes inside the car. 

“Gesture control has already become an accepted form of controlling anything from TV sets to games consoles. The next logical step is to control selected in-car features. We have identified which functions still need to be controlled by physical buttons and which could be controlled by gesture and carefully calibrated motion sensors,” said Dr Epple. “The system is currently being tested on a number of features including sun blinds, rear wipers and satellite navigation maps. It has the potential to be on sale within the next few years.”

Text adjusted from Landrover website.