[From Yahoo! Tech, where the story includes a 0:54 minute video; more information is available from Land Rover]
Land Rover’s New Camera Technology Lets Drivers See ‘Through’ the Car’s Hood
Relaxnews/Yahoo Tech Apr 9, 2014
For years, different kinds of cameras have acted as smart mirrors for vehicles, helping drivers better see what’s happening behind them. Now luxury SUV maker Land Rover is expanding on that idea, incorporating a camera under the hood to help drivers better see what’s happening right in front of them.
The technology is called the “Transparent Bonnet,” and it overlays a camera feed onto the inside of the vehicle’s windshield, making it simple to see what would normally be the unseeable space below and just in front of the hood. This means that, unlike most vehicle camera tech of today, the driver needn’t look anywhere but straight out the front window to observe what’s happening in the sight of the cameras.
The “invisibility” illusion of the hood is simply a product of the camera images being overlaid atop it.
“We are developing new technologies including the Transparent Bonnet to give drivers an augmented view of reality to help them tackle anything from the toughest off-road route to the tight confines of an urban car park,” said Dr. Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology for Jaguar Land Rover.
The Transparent Bonnet will be showcased on the new Discovery Vision Concept car, which will be making its worldwide debut at the New York International Auto Show on April 18.