- Intelligent system projects images onto the road ahead to inform pedestrians of direction of travel
- Projections show when the vehicle is preparing to stop, pull away or turn
- The technology helps understand how self‑driving vehicles can gain pedestrian trust by communicating their intentions
Coventry, UK, 24 January 2019 – Jaguar Land Rover has developed a system that projects the direction of travel onto the road ahead of self‑driving vehicles, to tell other road users what it is going to do next.
The intelligent technology beams a series of projections onto the road to show the future intentions of the vehicle ‑ for example stopping and turning left or right ‑ as part of research into how people can develop their trust in autonomous technology. In the future the projections could even be used to share obstacle detection and journey updates with pedestrians.
These projections, tested on autonomous pods developed by Aurrigo, feature a series of lines or bars with adjustable spacing. The gaps shorten as the pod is preparing to brake before fully compressing at a stop. As the pod moves off and accelerates, the spacing between the lines extends. Upon approaching a turn, the bars fan out left or right to indicate the direction of travel.
Projection Pod Jaguar Land Rover
Trials were set up by a team of advanced engineers, working in Jaguar Land Rover’s Future Mobility division, supported by cognitive psychologists, after studies showed 41 percent of drivers and pedestrians are worried about sharing the road with autonomous vehicles*.
The innovative system was tested on a fabricated street scene at a Coventry facility with engineers recording trust levels reported by pedestrians both with and without projections.
The trust trial programme ‑ which also included fitting of ‘virtual eyes’ to the intelligent pods in 2018 to see if making eye contact improved trust in the technology** ‑ was conducted as part of Jaguar Land Rover’s government‑supported UK Autodrive project.
“The trials are about understanding how much information a self‑driving vehicle should share with a pedestrian to gain their trust. Just like any new technology, humans have to learn to trust it, and when it comes to autonomous vehicles, pedestrians must have confidence they can cross the road safely. This pioneering research is forming the basis of ongoing development into how self‑driving cars will interact with people in the future.”
Pete Bennett
Future Mobility Research Manager at Jaguar Land Rover
Safety remains the priority as Jaguar Land Rover invests in self‑driving technology, becoming automotive leaders in autonomous, connected, electric and shared mobility. The trial is aligned with the brand’s long‑term strategic goals: to make cars safer, free up people’s valuable time and improve mobility for everyone.
This commitment extends to Jaguar Land Rover’s current models with a suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems including Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Assist and Intelligent Speed Limiter available across its range of vehicles, including the Jaguar F‑PACE and Range Rover Velar.
Further information
Editors’ notes:
The trust research is just one part of Jaguar Land Rover’s involvement with the UK Autodrive project. UK Autodrive is the largest of UK consortia launched to support the introduction of self‑driving vehicles into the UK, bringing together leading technology and automotive businesses, forward‑thinking local authorities and academic institutions to deliver a major three‑year UK trial of autonomous and connected vehicle technologies taking place in Milton Keynes and Coventry.
Gemma Lusty
Global Technology and Innovation Press Officer
T: +44 7823 374321
Notes to Editors
About Jaguar Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all‑wheel‑drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques.
At Jaguar Land Rover, we are driven by a desire to deliver class‑leading vehicles, which will provide experiences our customers will love, for life. Our products are in demand around the globe. In 2018 Jaguar Land Rover sold 592,708 vehicles in 128 countries.
We support around 260,000 people through our retailer network, suppliers and local businesses. At heart we are a British company, with two major design and engineering sites, three vehicle manufacturing facilities and an engine manufacturing centre in the UK. We also have plants in China, Brazil, India, Austria and Slovakia.
Our innovation is continuous: we will spend in the region of £4 billion this year on new product creation and capital expenditure.
From 2020 all new Jaguar Land Rover vehicles will offer the option of electrification, giving our customers even more choice. We will introduce a portfolio of electrified products across our model range, embracing fully electric, plug‑in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles as well as continuing to offer the latest diesel and petrol engines.
About Aurrigo / RDM
Aurrigo is the autonomous vehicle division of RDM Group, a privately‑owned business based in Coventry that is leading the world when it comes to 'first and last mile' transport solutions.
With over 25 years’ experience in providing automotive technology and transport solutions, the firm designs and develops autonomous vehicles from the ground up, including the autonomous control systems and offers a full 'in the field' operating service.
The company, which also worked on the UK Autodrive project, currently employs 70 people and has international offices in Australia, Canada and the United States.
www.aurrigo.com
