Automotive

Remote-control Range Rover can be driven with a smartphone app

Remote-control Range Rover can be driven with a smartphone app
The app lets you start the car, and control steering, throttle and brakes up to a maximum of 4mph.
The app lets you start the car, and control steering, throttle and brakes up to a maximum of 4mph.
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This prototype Range Rover lets you get out of the car and drive it using a smartphone app.
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This prototype Range Rover lets you get out of the car and drive it using a smartphone app.
The app lets you start the car, and control steering, throttle and brakes up to a maximum of 4mph.
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The app lets you start the car, and control steering, throttle and brakes up to a maximum of 4mph.

High end cars are creeping towards full autonomy, unlocking new abilities every generation that allow them to drive themselves under certain conditions. Now, using the sensors and hardware that let the car park itself, Jaguar Land Rover has demonstrated a very nifty remote control app that lets you get out of your car, stand beside it and drive it using your smartphone. It's an incredibly handy way to get this huge thing in and out of tight parking spots, or negotiate particularly rough terrain while keeping an eye on what's happening. You can literally be your own spotter.

The prototype smartphone app lets you start the car and control the brakes, throttle and steering, as well as gearshifts. The car will go a maximum 4 mph (6 km/h) in remote pilot mode, but it'll stop if the smartphone or the car key get more than 10 meters (33 ft) from the vehicle. It's unclear whether the car's collision avoidance sensors will stop you from running it into a pole.

This prototype Range Rover lets you get out of the car and drive it using a smartphone app.
This prototype Range Rover lets you get out of the car and drive it using a smartphone app.

A second prototype was revealed that can do its own 180-degree multi-point turn if you're in a narrow street that won't let you do a proper U-turn. The car uses its ultrasonic sensors to look for hazards in the environment, and then autonomously executes an about-turn in as many steps as is necessary, from a simple 3-point turn to… well, presumably to one of these.

Check out both new systems in the video below.

Source: Jaguar Land Rover

6 comments
6 comments
jeffbloggs
Lol. Does it stop before it runs you over too? Can it tell if your hand or head is under the car checking clearances before driving further? How does it monitor things approaching it from the side that can go under the wheels? Dunno if it's safe enough for most users that don't know how to use RC, especially when they are standing in front of the vehicle and the controls are back to front. But I do like the part where it reverses out of the car park! ;-)
Gaëtan Mahon
Why they're not using a dedicated remote for such a critical task is kind of beyond me. Security and ease of use is kind of important, no?
The most obvious suspect for such a task would be the Knob you normally use for handling the Entertainment System in the Car as it usually offers both directional as well as rotational movement.
Make it removable from the Console, like the front of old CD Players, and you're golden.
Trike-Flyer
What if someone else has the app and takes control of your big tank? That's when the fun begins !!!
steveraxx
Dumbing things down to the lowest level of intelligence and ability.
If you cannot drive a manual transmission well, you cannot get a license.
If you cannot parallel park, again, no license.
Stephen N Russell
Lisc for other car makes & models alone. Train drivers in use Awesome, what we saw with Knight Rider (1980s) & 007 Tomorrow Never Dies ( 1990s) Comes true, Radical I want one * but for your car make & model
guzmanchinky
That is fantastic! As someone who does rock crawling and off roading, this would come in handy in so many places. Hope they build something like this for the Jeep Wrangler, since most people would not want to scratch something as nice as a Range Rover...