Difficult parking situations and pulling out of tight spots are soon to be problems of the past, and Land Rover is at the front of pushing them toward antiquity.
New programs have been developed for the Range Rover line, ranging from the “Solo Car” vehicle able to drive autonomously off-road, to a smartphone app that allows drivers to control their car from outside the vehicle. A press release from Jaguar Land Rover today shares some of the details of these new features, giving us another look into the future of transportation.
A Range Rover Sport has been developed that can drive at speeds of up to 4 mph without anyone inside of the car, with all of its functions controlled through an app on a smartphone. As a precaution, the operator must be within 10 meters, or 32′, of the car and have the smart key on them for this to work.
It’s the ideal solution to getting stuck in a spot when someone parks too close to your door, maneuvering in and out of tight garages or acting as your own off-road spotter through difficult terrain. You can see an example of this tech in action in the video below, added to YouTube June 15 by Land Rover.
Continuing on the note of off-road abilities, Land Rover is dedicated to their reputation for creating the best off-road vehicles on the market and soon hopes to incorporate fully autonomous operation for those situations. In addition to announcing the ability of a Range Rover to autonomously execute a 180 degree turn, seen in the video above, they’re developing the exploration vehicle of the future.
“We know our customers drive in heavy rain, and snow, and bright desert sunshine every day,” Dr. Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology, Jaguar Land Rover, said in the release. “We are working on an array of new sensors that would enable a car to operate in any environment, without any outside intervention or input from lane markings or roadside infrastructure like traffic lights.”
Should this technology advance successfully, it could mean big things for the world of autonomous driving. Vehicles would no longer be limited to roadways, meaning the tech could easily work its way into military and exploratory operations, both on this planet and others. Imagine a Mars Rover vehicle that doesn’t need constant control from Houston, or a rescue vehicle entering a disaster area to aid those stuck on foot.
Exciting things, undoubtedly, are coming from these announcements, though it’s not sure when this technology will be fully implemented into production vehicles. Stay with us to find out when you can buy a Range Rover Sport that turns itself around, or if you’re not ready to literally let go of the wheel just yet, take a moment to browse our Land Rover listings, and find an analogue model for your daily drive.
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(Source: Jaguar Land Rover)
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