Invisible pillars and ghost cars are a couple of new technologies to make driving safer that are being proposed by Jaguar Land Rover researchers.
To make cars safer and strengthen the roof, pillars between the car’s body and roof had to be widened in order to make them stronger. The problem with that is that, when making turns or checking blind spots, the pillars block the driver’s view of the area around the car.
Jaguar Land Rover proposes to change this by installing cameras on each pillar and turning the inside of the pillar into a viewing screen. The effect is to make the pillar virtually invisible and allow the driver to see pedestrians or oncoming cars that would otherwise be blocked. To avoid distractions, the viewing screens are only activated when the turn signals are activated or an interior camera senses that the driver’s head is turning to check blind spots before changing lanes.
When using a GPS system, trying to read a screen or following verbal directions in an unfamiliar area can be confusing and distracting. Jaguar Land Rover researchers propose to solve this problem by projecting a “ghost car” on the windshield. With this system, all a driver would need to do is follow the ghost car ahead. This type of GPS system will be especially valuable for deaf or hard-of-hearing drivers.
To learn more about these innovations, see the video below or go to: Jaguar Land Rover Develops Transparent Pillar And ‘Follow-Me’ Ghost Car Navigation Research
Photo: Compliments of Jaguar Land Rover