Jaguar Land Rover is marketing the new Discovery as a major step forward in producing a smart SUV. The driver’s display will use two conformable, 3-million pixel OLED displays for driving functions. These will be controllable by touch gesture technology already familiar to smartphone users.
The new system will allow the driver to change gears more easily by simply using a hand swipe on the screen, as well as operate the Discovery’s indicator lights and headlights. By integrating driving functions into a touchscreen format the Discovery Vision will eliminate the number of levers and knobs found on contemporary steering wheels and dashboards.
Jaguar Land Rover has invested time in developing and calibrating touchscreen sensors to ensure that such gestures are accurately captured and do not imperil the vehicle.
Interior entertainment
In-car environment functions, like air conditioning, locking and opening the doors will also be controllable via an OLED touchscreen. Passengers in the rear seats will be able to experience and control the SUV’s entertainment system via another set of 10-inch OLED screens embedded in the back of the seats in front.
Smart glass
The most interesting innovation in the concept car is to use smart glass for the windows and roof panels of the Discovery Vision. These will contain transparent OLED displays. At a basic level this would allow sensitive tinting of the windows in response to bright sunlight, but could also evolve to include the ability to display information.
The head lamps will use conventional LEDs which will include other innovations like laser terrain scanning. There are even plans to develop a capacity to drive the vehicle by remote control.
Although not all of the advanced functions demonstrated in the Discovery Vision model 2014 concept model will be available at once – Land Rover sees the luxury smart SUV platform developing over the next decade.
Transparent Bonnet Concept
