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Jaguar tests autonomous vehicle technology with 100-car fleet

Jaguar Land Rover is exploring how to take autonomous vehicle technology off the paved path. But the company has plans for technology on tarmac, too. The company announced that the Jaguar division will have a fleet of 100 cars testing autonomous technologies on public roads. The testing process will cover a period of four years and begin with vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems, along with a stereo camera system and autonomous vehicle software. These systems will work together to provide a variety of features that could make their way into future Jaguars and Land Rovers. The first feature in development is called "Roadwork Assist." The system relies on the stereo camera to create a 3D image the car's software can analyze. The software can identify road cones and other barriers associated with construction sites. The car will then alert the driver about entering the construction zone and provide some steering assistance to keep the car centered in its lane. Tony Harper, Jaguar's head of research, said that this system can reduce stress on the driver, and the technology could eventually be used to allow the car to pilot itself through construction zones. Another of Jaguar's proposed features is "Safe Pullaway," which also relies on cameras and software. The Safe Pullaway feature is designed to prevent close-proximity collisions in traffic jams and even in the garage. To do this, the car watches the area immediately ahead of it for obstacles. If the car detects something nearby while the driver adds throttle or shifts into gear, it will apply the brakes to prevent driving into the object. The final project on Jaguar's plate is its "Over the Horizon Warning" system. This will be one of the first features to rely on Jaguar's vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology. The idea is that connected cars in constant communication will give drivers additional warning of upcoming hazards, such as out-of-sight animals and slowed or stopped cars. In Jaguar's example of a stopped car, the stationary vehicle would send a signal alerting approaching cars of the situation. In turn, the approaching vehicles would trigger audible and visual warnings to drivers about the hidden car. Jaguar says that the system could also be applied to emergency vehicles. Emergency vehicles would broadcast a signal to alert drivers well before the lights and sirens get their attention. This would give emergency vehicles a faster, safer path through traffic.

Tata to get Jaguar and Land Rover tech, platforms too?

Since buying Jaguar Land Rover, Indian automaker Tata has generally left its luxury arm's platforms and technology alone. However, those days might be gone. The two of them are gradually growing closer with coordinated development and rumors of shared platforms. And it looks like all of that work and money is finally going to pay off with an actual vehicle in the near future.
According to Australian website Drive, Tata wants to make its cars more attractive to buyers outside of India, and to do that the company knows it must improve quality. The Indian company is being careful, though, because it doesn't want to dilute the Jaguar or Land Rover brands with cheap models. "You're going to see in the future a lot of sharing of technologies and platforms over time, but you won't see a JLR with a Tata badge on it," said Darren Bowler, managing director of Tata's Australian distributor, to Drive.
According to Bowler, these future vehicles are already on the way. Tata and JLR have a global platform in the works for 2017 that both companies could use for cars or crossovers. He also hinted that Jaguar's new Ingenium engines could be shared among the brands in the future, too.

Jaguar Land Rover develops 'transparent' A-pillar and ghost car [w/video]

Jaguar and Land Rover are known for making highly covetable luxury, performance and off-road vehicles, but the British automakers are on a bit of a technology bent lately. Keen to show that it can not only keep up but lead the way when it comes to safety and convenience features, JLR has come out with two more systems to show the way forward. JLR's new 360 Virtual Urban Windscreen system, showcased on an XJ sedan, adopts two novel approaches to getting around town. First up is the Transparent Pillar system, which uses a combination of cameras and display screens embedded in the A, B and C-pillars to make them virtually disappear. Instead of acting as blind spots limiting the driver's visibility, the system uses the roof pillars to display what's going on around the car. If there's an obstacle hidden by the A-pillars, the system shows you the potential hazard as if the pillars weren't there, and brings the obstacle to the driver's attention. If the driver turns his or her head to see a vehicle passing alongside, it projects the vehicle on the inside of the B- or C-pillar. The second technology integrated in the next-generation head-up display is the Follow-Me Ghost Car Navigation system, which takes a page out of the video-game playbook by projecting a "ghost car" on the windscreen that the driver can then "follow" instead of listening to turn-by-turn directions or looking at a map in the dashboard display. The system is similar to what Jaguar recently showcased on an F-Type for track use, but applied for more practical use on city streets and highways. The release of these systems also follows the integrated smart navigation and infotainment system displayed on the Range Rover Sport and the Transparent Bonnet showcased on the Discovery Vision concept. Though these new technologies might not be quite ready for production applications, their impressive sum total goes to show that Jaguar Land Rover is ahead of the curve when it comes to reducing driver distraction and increasing the driver's visibility. Scope out the latest systems in the press release and video below for a closer look of what the future holds for British-style luxury motoring. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.