Jaguar Land Rover studies pothole detection tech

Jaguar Land Rover is researching road terrain detection technology for its vehicles that would warn other vehicles about potholes and other such road hazards via the cloud.

The automaker said is studying how to share the data, and it is working with government officials in Coventry, England, to determine the best way to alert road repair authorities. Jaguar Land Rover spokesman Nick O’Donnell said the development of this technology is in early stages and there is no production timeline or budget yet.

It’s not clear how the detection system would warn other drivers through the cloud, but Jaguar Land Rover plans to consider different warning icons and sounds, O’Donnell said.

“Part of the project in the future will be to determine how best to achieve this without distracting the driver,” he wrote in an email.

The pothole detection and alert technology will be tested in a Range Rover Evoque research vehicle, the automaker said.

The Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport SUVs already are equipped with Jaguar Land Rover’s MagneRide, which assesses terrain and adjusts suspension to adapt to rough roads.

Mike Bell, Jaguar Land Rover’s Connected Car director, said in a statement today that this technology can be used for more than just a comfortable ride.

“We think there is a huge opportunity to turn the information from these vehicle sensors into ‘big data’ and share it for the benefit of other road users,” he said.

Jaguar Land Rover also may look into developing autonomous technology that would guide vehicles around potholes and other such road hazards without the vehicle leaving its lane, Bell said.

“Sensing the road ahead and assessing hazards is a key building block on our journey to the autonomous car,” he said.