Jaguar Land Rover has launched a research project to develop technologies that will offer drivers a 360 degree view around their vehicle.

The idea involves screens being embedded into the surface of each pillar inside the car taking a live video from cameras covering the view outside usually obscured by the pillars.

The pillars will automatically become transparent when a driver indicates to change direction by moving their head over their shoulder or as the car approaches a junction.

The system would be connected to the Cloud, with a view to presenting petrol station prices and the number of parking spaces available with a view to enhancing navigation by advising the driver to turn left or right at more visible landmarks, rather than just road signs or street names. 

Director of research and Technology, Jaguar Land Rover, Dr Wolfgang Epple, said: “Our ultimate aim is to reduce road accidents and enhance the urban driving experience. The Jaguar Land Rover research team is developing this technology to improve visibility and to give the driver with the right information at the right time. If we can keep the driver’s eyes on the road ahead and present information in a non-distracting way, we can help drivers make better decisions in the most demanding and congested driving environments.”

The Jaguar Land Rover team is also developing ‘Follow-MeGhost Car Navigation’, which projects an image of a vehicle in front of the driver’s car for them to follow, turn by turn, to their destination.

“Driving on city streets can be a stressful experience, but imagine being able to drive across town without having to look at road signs, 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,” Epple said.