Land Rover’s Transparent Trailer Tech Makes Towing Cargo A Breeze

Engineers over at Land Rover have revealed their newest in augmented reality, allowing cameras to feed an altered view of the car’s rear but without the obstructive view of whatever it may be towing. They call it transparent trailer tech. 

Towing a large item such as a trailer, horse box, boat, or even a caravan seriously impedes the driver’s visibility. With this technology, they will be able to easily see what’s coming up behind them and make maneuverability much easier, showcased in the film below using a Range Rover.

The video feed displayed on the rear view mirror is a doctored image, which is in real-time being combined from the reversing camera, wing mirror mount cameras, and an additional wireless digital camera mounted on the rear of the trailer – when combined, they able to make the trailer appear invisible to the driver looking at the screen.

Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology at Jaguar Land Rover said, “Our transparent trailer project is researching how we could offer a view out of the vehicle unrestricted by your trailer, no matter what its size or shape. Our prototype system offers a very high quality video image with no distortion of other cars or obstructions. This means the driver would have exactly the right information to make safe and effective decisions when driving or manoeuvring, making towing safer and less stressful.”

Cargo Sense, however, uses sensors placed strategically within the cargo trailer to monitor temperature and, importantly, contains an accelerometer to sense any impending destabilizing movement. It will then warn the driver remotely (via a smartphone app) or while he or she is driving.