Land Rover is tinkering with some new technology that will allow users to see the road in front of them that is usually obscured by the hood. How? By making the hood invisible.
Kind of.
Under the new plans called “Discovery Vision Concept,” which were revealed at the New York International Auto Show, the grill of the vehicle will be laden with cameras that can capture what’s in front of you, which will relay the view to the driver in a head-up display (HUD) on the windscreen. Currently, development is in the early stages but the announcement shows that Land Rover is taking the “invisible” hood concept very seriously.
It is hoped the “transparent bonnet”, set to be built in Land Rover’s Discovery range, will be of use for traveling uphill and crossing uneven or dangerous terrain and is one of the first uses of augmented reality in cars.
“Discovery has been pivotal in helping to build the foundations of the Land Rover brand. It is admired all over the world and loved by its strong customer base,” said Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s Design Director and Chief Creative Officer. “We have created the Vision Concept to share the essence of Land Rover’s new age of Discovery and to debut a new, compelling, relevant design direction that connects on an emotional level with customers of today and tomorrow.”
The concept video below gives you a glimpse of what’s to come:
Irish journalist writing on business, tech and engineering.
