New Land Rover Tech Will Let You 'Walk' Your Car
Land Rover has been working hard on developing next-generation technology and a new patent application shows off the brand’s latest system.
Published in the U.K., the patent is for an “external vehicle control system” that is essentially a device that sticks onto the exterior of the vehicle and can be used to control the vehicle. According to the patent application, the control device includes a user interface to receive user inputs , while a transmitter is coupled with a processor to transmit the control signal to a control unit inside the vehicle.
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From what we can see on the external control device, it is able to control the drive selector, engine start, lights, turn the wheels, move forward, reverse and brake. It may also have other means to authenticate the user besides having the key, such as a keypad or even a fingerprint sensor. Mounting the device would comprise of at least one suction pad or at least one magnetic coupler and would cooperate with any exterior body structure, said the patent application.
The external control is similar to an app that Land Rover has been working on to allow you to control your vehicle using your smartphone from outside of it. The benefit is when heading off road, the driver can act as their own spotter and drive the vehicle externally through tricky obstacles.
The patent was originally filed on March 27, 2015 but was just recently published, so maybe Land Rover will share more details about this tech in the near future.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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