As you probably know, Land Rover will unveil the Discovery Vision concept car at the New York Auto Show later this month. The study not only previews the next generation Discovery off-roader, but also debuts technologies that are likely to be used on future Land Rover vehicles as well.

One of these gadgets is called Transparent Bonnet, a system that uses cameras mounted on the grille and Head-Up Display technology to provide full visibility of what is underneath and in front of the car, with total clarity of otherwise hidden obstacles.

Transparent Bonnet enables a driver climbing a steep incline or maneuvering in a confined space to see an augmented reality view capturing not only the terrain in front of the car but also the angle and position of the front wheels.

So how does it work, actually? Cameras located in the vehicle’s grille capture data used to feed a Head-Up Display, effectively creating a “see-through” view of the terrain through the bonnet and engine bay.

According to Land Rover, the technology “shows how advanced technology will take Land Rover’s unrivalled capability to the next level.” The “see-through” augmented reality view of the terrain ahead makes the front of the car “virtually” invisible from inside the cabin.

“As our vehicles become more capable and autonomous off-road, we will ensure the driver has the confidence to allow the car to continue to progress, over any terrain. 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 Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology for Jaguar Land Rover.

You can see a demonstration of the Transparent Bonnet technology in the video posted below.

By Dan Mihalascu

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