Many people are wary of touchscreens nowadays, and Jaguar Land Rover has a solution we hope we’ll see sooner rather than later in the company’s sedans and SUVs. In partnership with the University of Cambridge, the automaker has developed a contactless touchscreen, which aims to reduce the spread of viruses and minimize driver distraction.
The technology, which is now patented, uses artificial intelligence and sensors to predict a user’s target on the touchscreen, eliminating the need to physically touch the screen. Sensors can track gestures and eye gaze to find out what a user is looking for, speeding up the interaction. The automaker envisions predictive touch controlling everything from temperature to entertainment settings and navigation. Driving over bumpy roads can make it difficult to operate a touchscreen, a problem which JLR’s new technology could ameliorate. Based on lab tests and on-road trials, Jaguar says the new technology could reduce a driver’s touchscreen interaction effort and time by 50 percent, thus improving safety.
It’s unclear how soon we’ll see contactless touchscreens in cars or stores, but we like the idea already. The technology is part of Jaguar Land Rover’s Destination Zero strategy, which aims to make driving safer and cleaner by achieving zero emissions, zero accidents, and zero congestion.
