Jaguar UK today announces an exciting partnership which will see the presentation of the technologically-advanced XF executive saloon car at WIRED2015. WIRED is recognised as the multimedia authority on the future, in print and digital.
Senior Jaguar executives Kevin Stride (XF Vehicle Line Director), Adam Hatton (Creative Director, Jaguar Exterior Design), Alister Whelan (Creative Director, Jaguar Interior Design) and Peter Virk (Head of Connected Technologies and Apps) will support the presentation of the all-new XF at WIRED. These experts from the Design and Engineering teams at Jaguar Land Rover will also feature in exclusive workshop sessions at the WIRED conference.
Chaired by WIRED UK Deputy Editor, Greg Williams, and supported by additional speakers from WIRED2015, two 30 minute thought-leadership sessions will cover topics designed to stimulate discussion and debate by experts in their field. The first session is scheduled for Thursday 15th: ‘Humanity in the digital age’, with the second scheduled for Friday 16th: ‘Integrated innovation: Car design and Engineering’. Both sessions will be filmed and published by Jaguar and WIRED at the event.
The appearance of the new XF will permit the opportunity to showcase ‘inherently innovative’ technologies including InControl Touch Pro (offering door-to-door navigation, seamless iOS and Android connectivity and Meridian digital surround sound – making the XF the most connected Jaguar to date), Jaguar Configurable Dynamics, All-Surface Progress Control (enabling smooth, effortless drive-away on low friction surfaces such as snow and ice), laser head-up display, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise-control with queue-assist, lane keep-assist, intelligent speed limiter, semi-automated parking and much more.
Jaguar will also show, for the first time in the UK, the stunning C-X75 concept hypercar, which features in the new Bond adventure, SPECTRE. The 24th James Bond film, SPECTRE, sees Hinx (played by David Bautista), drive the C-X75 – the most advanced Jaguar ever created – through the moonlit streets of Rome.
In addition, Jaguar Land Rover will showcase some of the company’s future technologies and research projects, including:
Mind Sense
Jaguar Land Rover’s research project to see if a car could effectively read the brainwaves and monitor if the driver is alert and concentrating on driving. The human brain continually generates four or more distinct brainwaves at different frequencies. By continually monitoring which type of brainwave is dominant, an on-board computer could assess whether a driver is focused, daydreaming, sleepy or distracted.
The most common method for monitoring brainwaves is close to the source using sensors attached to a headband, to circumvent this requirement, Jaguar Land Rover is investigating methods in use by NASA and the US bobsleigh team to develop pilots’ concentration and focus. Mind Sense will detect brainwaves through the hands via sensors embedded in the steering wheel, with software adopted to amplify the signal and filter out the pure brainwave from any background noise between the driver’s head and the wheel. If brain activity indicates a day dream or poor concentration, the steering wheel or pedals will vibrate to raise the driver’s awareness to the lapse. User trials are underway, supported by leading neuroscientists to verify the results.
Air Bubble
Jaguar Land Rover is researching how a car could heat or cool an ‘air bubble’ inside the vehicle, and maintain temperature and air quality using innovative new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) technologies.
Operating a fully closed air re-circulation system, by scrubbing CO2, water vapour and particulates from the cabin air, would reduce energy consumption and provide better air quality inside the vehicle than out. In future it may also be possible to directly heat or cool the occupants of the car with air flowing through the seat fabric, and radiant heat panels warming just the occupants’ skin rather than all the air inside the car.
Predictive Infotainment
The development of new technologies that increase the speed and efficiency of the interaction between driver and infotainment screen, with the aim of reducing distraction and minimizing the time the driver’s eyes are on the screen. Predictive touch technology works using cameras embedded inside the car together with path tracking filters that predict the ‘touch point’ based on the trajectory of the driver’s finger and previous five movements.
Cargo Sense
Cargo Sense is an innovative idea for a trailer monitoring system designed to optimize cargo loading for safer towing. The prototype system combines a remote video camera inside the trailer and a mat of pressure sensors on the floor, that both communicate wirelessly to the towing vehicle.
As well as helping users load cargo evenly and efficiently, the pressure sensitive mat would detect if a load, be it solid (boxes, furniture, car) or alive (horse), is moving around in an unexpected or abnormal way whilst traveling. The system would send a ‘cargo check’ warning to alert the driver to an issue with the cargo at the earliest opportunity. Live video footage from the trailer could also be made available through the infotainment screen in the vehicle – visible only to the passenger if the vehicle is in motion, or to the driver as well when stationary.
The project includes the development of an App that allows drivers to monitor the status of a trailer and its cargo remotely via smartphone. Conditions monitored would include temperature, abnormal movements, any tampering outside the trailer and more.
For more information on WIRED2015, and to purchase tickets, visithttp://www.wiredevent.co.uk/wired-2015.