The tools we use to perform better in racing games may be coming to Jaguar's future cars. Racing lines with braking guidance and ghost cars — the kind of displays you'd expect to see in Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport — are two components of Jaguar Land Rover's new "virtual windscreen" technology.
The uses of Jaguar's heads-up display range from the practical to the performance-oriented. The company proposes projecting road hazard and navigation icons on its virtual windshield, as well as data aimed at serious drivers: lap times, ghost data uploaded by other drivers and more.
"We are working on research projects that will give the driver better information to enhance the driving experience," said Dr. Wolfgang Epple, director of research and technology for Jaguar Land Rover, in a release. "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."
Other technologies Jaguar Land Rover has in development include gesture controls inspired by smartphones and game consoles, and head- and eye-tracking cameras to create virtual instrument displays.
"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 sunblinds, rear wipers and satellite navigation maps."
