2001 Jaguar Xj8 Long Wheel Base L on 2040-cars

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Jaguar Land Rover exploring 3D HUD and infotainment projections

With its most recent technology research, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is exploring the use of 3D projections for a world before and/or after autonomous vehicles come to fruition. In collaboration with the United Kingdom's University of Cambridge, JLR has developed concepts for a 3D head-up display that shows information on the road ahead and a system that projects personalized 3D infotainment for vehicle passengers.  As of right now, hundreds of production vehicles are equipped with two-dimensional head-up displays, some color, others black and white. Using various techniques and different technologies, manufacturers display information in a flat image in front of a driver. Some might find it distracting or unhelpful to have this in the driver's line of sight, and JLR might have found a solution. Rather than wedge the information in between the person and the view ahead, a 3D system that uses augmented reality could display the info onto the road in front of the driver. JLR thinks the system could project navigation directions, safety alerts such as lane departure, hazard detection or other bits typically found in a car's infotainment or instrument cluster. Some might find this to be even more distracting that 2D head-up displays, but to each his or her own. While the 3D head-up display is something that could be used right now, if it were released and passed legal, part two of JLR's 3D technology research is imagined for a life where truly autonomous vehicles are skating across the country. Using head- and eye-tracking technology, the system could lock into the position of numerous people in a vehicle and give each of them a personalized 3D projection "screen." This could be used to track a trip, look up points of interest, or even watch movies. JLR points out this could be used during ride-sharing without bothering others in the vehicle. The work with the Center for Advanced Photonics and Electronics at Cambridge is still in development for now, but it's only a matter of time before 3D tech makes it into cars in some degree.

Off-roading in a 2020 Jaguar I-Pace HSE

The hiker’s eye roll was so extreme that it was nearly audible. “Nice trail car,” she said in mocking tones that left little doubt she felt otherwise. She was among a group that was walking single file downhill as I was creeping my all-electric 2020 Jaguar I-Pace around a tight uphill bend, proceeding slowly because a sheer cliff blocked my view through the apex on this one-lane section of the Maple Springs truck trail. Such a cautious approach is the norm up here because hikers share this fire road with mountain bikers, adventure motorcyclists and day-tripping off-roaders. But I was being extra careful because I was keenly aware that my electric all-wheel-drive machine emitted none of the engine noise an ascending geared-down truck would make. WhatÂ’s more, my test car was shod with the optional low-profile 255/40R22 high performance summer tires that put the lips of the pricey 22-inch “diamond turned” rims uncomfortably close to the rocks. Meeting a motorized vehicle wasn't the surprising bit – it was that theyÂ’d expected to see a 4Runner, Tacoma or Jeep Wrangler come nosing around the bend, not some high-falutin Jaguar styled by renowned designer Ian Callum. IÂ’d been up this U.S. Forest Service fire road dozens of times, most recently just two weeks ago in my own JK Jeep Wrangler. ItÂ’s easy if you have clearance and reasonable all-terrain tires, so I was prepared to take advantage of the numerous wide spots if the iPace protested. Besides, this was not really a test of the off-road prowess of the I-Pace itself. I was more interested in getting a feel for what electrified off-roading might be like. I started grinning less than 100 yards after the trailÂ’s narrow paved approach turned into dirt and began snaking steeply upward through dust and embedded rocks. In my own Jeep, which has a six-speed manual transmission and 4:10-to-1 axle gearing, I usually choose low-range at this point because the transmission gear spacing in high range is too wide and the engine bogs all too easily at these slow and constantly varying speeds. By comparison, the JaguarÂ’s power delivery was pure magic. For starters, there was no 4x4 mode to engage, no low range to select. The dual-motor all-wheel drive system is always on, and it constantly adjusts its torque split to suit conditions. Throttle pedal response is thoroughly accurate, and I never once had to goose the pedal because electric motors deliver their peak torque at zero rpm.

Jaguar's futuristic 'Sayer' steering wheel might make your morning coffee

In the not-too-distant future, it would be the only part of the car you'd actually own. If it were the subject of a surrealist painting from 1929, it might feature the tagline, "Ceci n'est pas un volant," the French word for steering wheel. Jaguar calls it Sayer and says it's the steering wheel of the future — the first voice-activated, artificial intelligence steering wheel that will be able to carry out hundreds of tasks and follow you from car to car. "Imagine a future of autonomous, connected and electric cars where you don't own a single car, but instead call upon the vehicle of your choice where and when you need it," the company says. "That's a future vision Jaguar Land Rover is exploring with Sayer, the connected steering wheel that could be the only part of the car you own." Automakers focused on developing autonomous vehicles have proposed doing away with pedals and steering wheels, but this is the first we've heard of that envisions the steering wheel, such as it is, as your veritable car keys in a self-driving, car-sharing world. Jaguar says it could order up a ride to get you where you need to go on time, and it could even advise you when you might enjoy driving part of the journey yourself. No word on whether it can sync with a toaster for breakfast, however. The concept device is named after Malcolm Sayer, a Jaguar designer from 1951 to 1970 who's responsible for the E-Type and D-Type racer, which won the Le Mans 24-hour race three times in a row in the 1950s. It will feature on a Jaguar concept called Future-Type in 2040. In the meantime, it will be unveiled at Tech Fest at Central St. Martins, University of the Arts London on Thursday, Sept. 7, as part of the automaker's "Technology with Heart" presentation. The festival is free to the public Sept. 8-10. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: Jaguar Green Weird Car News Jaguar Technology Emerging Technologies artificial intelligence steering wheel voice command