Jaguar Land Rover, the UK’s biggest auto company, has patented new technology that would allow drivers to control infotainment systems without having to actually touch a screen.
The ‘predictive touch’ technology is being developed by the company in conjunction with Cambridge University.
It uses artificial intelligence and an array of sensors and could make driving safer by reducing the time and attention required to access in-car controls.
Research has shown that the new system could reduce the driver’s time and effort in using a touchscreen by half.
It could also help to reduce the spread of viruses and other current and future infections.
As the fingers do not actually touch the screen, there is less chance of spreading a virus or bacteria through hard surfaces, especially if the vehicle is shared or used for test drives.
Lee Skrypchuk, human machine interface technical specialist at Jaguar Land Rover, said: ‘As countries around the world exit lockdown, we notice how many everyday consumer transactions are conducted using touchscreens: railway or cinema tickets, ATMs, airport check-ins and supermarket self-service checkouts, as well as many industrial and manufacturing applications.
‘Predictive touch technology eliminates the need to touch an interactive display and could, therefore, reduce the risk of spreading bacteria or viruses on surfaces.’
System uses combination of AI and gesture trackers
Skrypchuk added that it also made driving safer by ‘reducing the cognitive load on drivers’, allowing them to spend more time with their eyes on the road.
The technology uses a gesture tracker to see where the user’s finger is pointing.
These use a combination of vision and radio frequency-based sensors to track the hand.
An AI algorithm then works out where they would make contact with the screen if they actually carried on touching it.
As well as the gesture tracker, other data, including previous actions and an ‘eye gaze tracker’ can also be used and analysed by the AI to predict the user’s intentions in real-time.
The vehicle can also incorporate voice commands, allowing the driver to ask questions or give instructions to the car.
It can respond to some queries via a built-in voice assistant.
According to a statement from Jaguar Land Rover, the technology is at high readiness levels and will be able to be integrated into existing touchscreen controls.
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