DRIVEN TO BE WILD
Forget self-driving cars cruising down the highway, Land Rover has entered new terrain with technology to create the world’s first automated vehicle that is just as happy heading cross country
LAND Rover is headed where few vehicles have been before: self-driving into the scrub. While others sweat over the technicalities of autonomous cars heading down freeways, the British are spending millions to develop an off-roader capable of driving itself over any surface or terrain in any weather.
There has already been a degree of progress.
Jaguar Land Rover’s head of research Tony Harper says this “allterrain autonomy research” is not just about the car driving itself on a motorway or in extreme off-road situations.
“It’s about helping both the driven and autonomous car make their way safely through any terrain or driving situation,” Mr Harper said.
“We don’t want to limit future highly automated and fully autonomous technologies to tarmac. When the driver turns off the road, we want this support and assistance to continue.
“In the future, if you enjoy the benefits of autonomous lane-keeping on a motorway at the start of your journey, we want to ensure you can use this all the way to your destination, even if this is via a rough track or gravel road.”
Land Rover, and now Jaguar with the F-Pace SUV, have a number of off-road capable machines that could carry these new technologies.
From rough roads to snowcovered or mud-washed bush tracks, the advanced capabilities would be available to both driver and vehicle.
And a driver could let the machine “take the wheel” if that driver was unsure how to tackle a problem.
“We are already world leaders in all-terrain technologies. These research projects will extend that lead still further,” Mr Harper said.
Jaguar Land Rover’s researchers are developing new sensing technologies to be the vehicle’s eyes.
These sensors are always on the lookout and see better than a human. This will give a vehicle the artificial intelligence to allow the machine to plan the way ahead.
Ultrasonic sensors will detect surface conditions up to 5m in front of the vehicle and identify the surface – grass, gravel, sand or snow – before the car drives over them. The surface identification and 3D path sensing research will allow a 360-degree view around the vehicle, checking out all obstacles, from those ahead to those overhead, helping determine the selfdrive route and speed.
“The key enabler for autonomous driving on any terrain is to give the car the ability to sense and predict the 3D path it is going to drive through,” said Mr Harper.
“This means being able to scan and analyse both the surface to be driven on, as well as any hazards above and to the sides of the path ahead.
“This might include carpark barriers, tree roots and boulders or overhanging branches, as well as the materials and topography to be driven on.”
This all-terrain autonomous driving could also allow off-road vehicles to talk to each other, especially if out of sight around a turn or on the other side of an obstacle.
*Across southeast Queensland, there have been a few clueless offroaders over the years who maybe could do with a self-drive vehicle from Jaguar Land Rover.
The bloke stuck, driver-side tipped into a deep rut, with a fluffy white dog on his lap, springs to mind for one.