Land Rover Unveils Future Technologies with Two New Defender Concepts at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show +VIDEO
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FRANKFURT - September 14, 2011: For more than six decades, Land Rover has been designing and building 4x4s that define capability, versatility and usability. Like no other vehicle, Defender inspires affection and loyalty the world over. It is the original reconfigurable vehicle, inspiring people to go beyond whether they are explorers, ecologists, UN aid workers or Red Cross medics.
• DC100 demonstrates the future of Land Rover capability and versatility.
• DC100 Sport is an active expression of freedom and leisure.
Watch the Land Rover Defender Concepts promo video
Technology and Capability
Auto Terrain Response
Powerful new off-road tools will extend the capabilities of the much-praised Land Rover Terrain Response programme to allow it to automatically optimise the concepts for any environment without driver pre-selection.
Terrain Response on the DC100 concepts also features High-Definition cameras mounted on the front to analyse the visual spectrum of the ground ahead. This is then compared to images stored within a predictive neural network and allows the system to visually determine, for example, the difference between sand, grass, mud, gravel, snow and asphalt.
Intelligent Terrain Mapping
Acting as an early-warning system is the state-of-the-art Terrain-i mapper that creates a virtual 3D visualisation of the ground ahead and displays it on the central touchscreen. Similar to systems used by fighter pilots, Terrain-i uses a headlamp-mounted scanner that runs complex algorithms to assess the route ahead and warn the driver of obstacles potentially too large to be safely negotiated.
Wade Aid
Land Rover has developed a sonar-based system for assessing water depth that allows the driver to make informed decisions as to whether to proceed into flooded areas.
The system utilises sensors mounted in the bumpers and wing mirrors. These are able to measure depth and by working in conjunction with inclinometers recognise whether the level is increasing or decreasing. All this information is displayed in an intuitive graphic on the central touchscreen.
On-Demand Spiked Tyres
Further allowing the concepts to adjust to changing conditions is a driver-deployable spiked tyre system. This is operated by an electro-mechanical system mounted within the tyre on the inside of the wheel; activation of the technology causes air to inflate a secondary air chamber, filling pods moulded into the tread of the tyre which contain the spikes.
Leisure Key
Land Rover has adopted Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to increase the accessibility, usability and security of the concepts.
These allow the main key fob to be left in a slot in the glovebox, which deactivates it and transfers its lock and unlock functions to the rugged RFID chip. Once the system is armed and the car secured, only that specific RFID smart tag will allow it to be unlocked and reactivate the key fob.
Future developments of the system will allow each family member to have their own smart tag, which would save their personal audio, climate, communication, safety and seating settings. Third-generation smart tags could also include biometric data that would use facial systems to increase security.
"Loved the world over for its simple, honest and distinctive design, we are determined that the new Defender will be true to its heritage while meeting the requirements of a changing global market." (John Edwards, Global Brand Director, Land Rover)
The Land Rover DC100 concept builds upon the essential elements of the car's character and allows Land Rover to open the debate and inspire people to dream about the Defenders of the future.
