Get ready for gesture control, autonomous driving, invisible bonnets, and a Discovery controlled by iPad…
And by could, we mean will. The firm's Director of Research and Technology, Dr Wolfgang Epple has promised that a whole raft of the stuff we've seen at the car's unveiling in New York will reach production by 2024. At the latest.
If you want to see the future, click on for encyclopaedic glass, remote control driving, laser headlights, and X-Ray Naked Vision. We only made one of those up.
Drive off-road by remote control
If you're an off-roadist, you may have a friend you recruit to occasionally get out and look at the terrain for you so you don't fall off a sand dune, or into a ditch, or off an Alp. But Land Rover recognises the possibility that you might not have friends, allowing you to spot yourself and drive the car remotely using a tablet or smart phone. Also good news for gate owners - you'll only have to get out of the car once.
If you're an off-roadist, you may have a friend you recruit to occasionally get out and look at the terrain for you so you don't fall off a sand dune, or into a ditch, or off an Alp. But Land Rover recognises the possibility that you might not have friends, allowing you to spot yourself and drive the car remotely using a tablet or smart phone. Also good news for gate owners - you'll only have to get out of the car once.
Fully autonomous drive
Dr Epple says "an autonomous Land Rover will become a reality within the next 10 years." Which sounds pretty categorical. Though not that surprising considering the kit is already fitted to Merc's S-class.
Transparent Bonnet
Using cameras and voodoo, Land Rover can make bonnets disappear. We've been to roughly 412 seminars explaining how this works but we still don't understand.
Dr Epple says "an autonomous Land Rover will become a reality within the next 10 years." Which sounds pretty categorical. Though not that surprising considering the kit is already fitted to Merc's S-class.
Smart Glass
We're struggling to believe that this'll reach us before commercial time travel, but what Smart Glass does is basically Google the scenery, and project information about your surroundings onto the glass. Which renders tedious things like learning and knowledge completely redundant.
We're struggling to believe that this'll reach us before commercial time travel, but what Smart Glass does is basically Google the scenery, and project information about your surroundings onto the glass. Which renders tedious things like learning and knowledge completely redundant.
Gesture control
This could be one of the more realistic ones. It's a combination of stuff we've already seen from the VW Group - automated tailgate, and touchscreen infotainment options increasing in size when you put your hand near them - but moved on a few notches. The Vision concept's doors, headlights, nav, and stereo system can all be operated without touching a button, and the various screens dotted around the vehicle react to swipe and proximity movements. Better hope a wasp doesn't fly in through the window.
This could be one of the more realistic ones. It's a combination of stuff we've already seen from the VW Group - automated tailgate, and touchscreen infotainment options increasing in size when you put your hand near them - but moved on a few notches. The Vision concept's doors, headlights, nav, and stereo system can all be operated without touching a button, and the various screens dotted around the vehicle react to swipe and proximity movements. Better hope a wasp doesn't fly in through the window.
Frikkin' LASERS
Not the official title, but the headlights have built-in lasers that project messages onto the road. All of LR's suggestions for applying the tech are predictably sensible - projecting a warning if there's an accident, or to help the driver judge tight gaps between obstacles off-road - but is this the dawn of Road Rage 2.0? Think of the possibilities...
Not the official title, but the headlights have built-in lasers that project messages onto the road. All of LR's suggestions for applying the tech are predictably sensible - projecting a warning if there's an accident, or to help the driver judge tight gaps between obstacles off-road - but is this the dawn of Road Rage 2.0? Think of the possibilities...
Wade Aid
We'd be surprised if this didn't make the new Disco - it's basically an advancement from the current wade sensing tech, which tells you how deep the water you're in is. Which is as useful as a stick. Literally. The new tech uses lasers to judge the depth of water at the shoreline, so you can work out the feasibility of crossing a river before the tyres are wet.
We'd be surprised if this didn't make the new Disco - it's basically an advancement from the current wade sensing tech, which tells you how deep the water you're in is. Which is as useful as a stick. Literally. The new tech uses lasers to judge the depth of water at the shoreline, so you can work out the feasibility of crossing a river before the tyres are wet.
Transparent Bonnet
Using cameras and voodoo, Land Rover can make bonnets disappear. We've been to roughly 412 seminars explaining how this works but we still don't understand.
Source : Top Gear
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