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Jaguar Reveals ‘Ghost Car’ Navigation System

Jaguar have recently announced the proposal of a ‘Ghost Car’ navigation system – a revolutionary step in the motoring world. The proposed navigation system will contain some never-before-seen features, including an illuminated ‘ghost car’ projected on the windscreen for drivers to follow.

360 Urban Windscreen

The idea behind the technology is to create an environment in which the driver has no blind spots, be effectively giving the driver transparent roof pillars. This is achieved by embedding screens and projecting a camera feed on the roof pillars to give the driver a 360 degree view of what’s going on outside via a live video feed. The illusion that the driver can see straight through the metal is created. Pedestrians, other vehicles and cyclists all around the car would become visible, and could even be additionally highlighted to the driver with an on-screen halo around them moving across the car’s virtual windscreen.

Follow-me Ghost Car Navigation

The virtual ‘follow-me ghost car’ is projected by a large Heads-Up Display (HUD) onto the virtual windscreen and looks like it is driving in front of the actual vehicle. It follows the sat nav’s directions and drives round the city, making it easier for the driver to follow the ghost car rather than listen to directions or spend time concentrating on an external sat nav rather than the road. The driver will have all the information they require at eye level – reducing the risk of accidents when drivers’ attentions are distracted away from roads.

Dr. Wolfgang Epple, Jaguar Land Rover’s Director of Research and Technology, said “Driving on city streets can be a stressful experience, but imagine being able to drive across a town without having to look at road signes, or be distracted trying to locate a parking space as you drive by. “We want to present all of this information on a Heads-Up Display in the driver’s eye-line, so the driver doesn’t have to seek it out for themselves and take their eyes off the road ahead.”

Other extra features of the new system include:

• Parking guidance
• Stop light duration
• Geographic landmarks
• Fuel prices of local fuel stations

The release date for the new system is yet unknown.