Land Rover Turns Hoods Invisible

Land Rover Transparent Hood Technology (Credit: Land Rover)

Land Rover is digging deep into its bag of tricks to draw even more buyers to the brand as it desperately struggles against other, larger automakers with luxury SUVs. Since Land Rover in theory appeals to buyers who like to drive away from pavement and cement, engineers have come up with a way to make an SUV’s hood appear invisible, giving the driver a better view of the terrain directly in front of the vehicle.

The system makes use of cameras mounted to the front grille. Those cameras record what sits in front of the vehicle, sending a live video feed to the head-up display, which projects onto the windshield. The hood of the SUV appears to disappear as the video is laid over it. Essentially, Land Rover engineers are incredible geniuses that have created a new driver assistance technology that applies specifically to off-roading activities. Land Rover calls the new system the Transparent Bonnet, which is a very proper British name indeed. As the technology comes across the pond to the United States, that name likely will change to something that does not call up images of Little House on the Prairie.

Where the new technology really shines is when the SUV is moving up a steep incline, with the hood normally blocking quite a bit of the driver’s view, or in situations that the vehicle is negotiating its way through a tight space. Off-road enthusiasts will be most happy to know that the system not only shows obstacles directly in front of the vehicle, but it also gives the driver a clear view of the angle and position of the front wheels, helping avoid embarrassing situations like rolling your Land Rover completely over.

Be prepared to be wowed even more by Land Rover, since it will be showing up at the New York International Auto Show with its Discovery Vision Concept SUV. The concept vehicle will show off many of the advanced technologies the company has been working on, such as the Transparent Bonnet.