you know why a game console racing game can never be as real as the actual world regardless of their claimed realism? it is because of damn green driving line that tells you when to brake and how exactly the ideal driving line should be. but could soon change with the Virtual Windscreen Concept which Jaguar is developing. so what’s the big deal with this virtual windscreen concept? it is a big deal because it practically turns your car’s windscreen into a la-Gran Turismo environment i.e. it will have the driving line that show you the optimum racing line and changes color to indicate when to apply the brake. there is even a ghost mode, where you can race again a “ghost car” of your previous lap or race saved by other racers – complete with the running time display next to it.
the windscreen will also have information of your race such as the lap you are in, the time and position, your fastest lap and last lap timings, and of course, it will also project a virtual speedometer showing the speed and the current gear. basically, it will have the necessary race-centric information you need so you don’t need to take your eyes off the display, sorry, we meant the road. it sure sounds the line between real life racing and virtual racing are about to be blurred. don’t you think? there is also a training mode, where virtual cones are laid out for you to weave along and of course, your timing and performance logged. in addition, other information such as hazard and navigation direction can be projected onto the windscreen – all in the name of keeping your eyes on the road.
along with this development, Jaguar is also developing a gesture control system so you do not have to fiddle with buttons or switches. why? because there is no point keeping your eyes on the road when you need to be distracted with those mundane buttons and/or switches. obviously, this development’s first applications, if it were materialized, would be motorsports, but it could be adapted for everyday car too for projecting hazard and navigation info. along with these two developments, Jaguar Land Rover is also looking at innovative 3D instrument cluster (that does without 3D eyewear, obviously) and also the possibility of doing away with rear view and side mirrors. naturally, nothing gets us more excited then the Gran Turismo-style driving aid. we want that now!
