There are a few different scenarios in which Jaguar Land Rover says a driver may want to control his or her vehicle from outside the SUV, and that's why the company is testing a smart phone app that does just that.
DETROIT, MI - There are a few different scenarios in which Jaguar Land Rover says a driver may want to control his or her vehicle from outside the SUV, and that's why the company is testing a smart phone app that does just that.
One is obvious, and has been cited by other automakers developing similar autonomous driving technology: If some yahoo parks too close to you, you can simply use the app to back your car out remotely.
But for the Range Rover brand, such a tool could also come in handy when negotiating rugged terrain, the company notes.
Here's a video demonstration:
The Range Rover Sport connected to the app uses sensors to create a "Multi-Point Turn" autonomous driving system.
The smart phone app, which is still in the testing phase, appears to have a little steering wheel that controls the car. The SUV can accelerate and brake, with use of the app. A driver can walk alongside it at a maximum speed of 4 miles per hour.
"It could also be an invaluable aid when the vehicle is fording a stream or traversing sections made slippery by mud or snow," Jaguar Land Rover says.
The app only works if the user is within 10 meters (about 32 feet) of the car, and ti will stop working if the user is out of range or gets too close to the vehicle.
The end game of this kind of research for Jaguar Land Rover is to eventually offer a vehicle that has a choice of engaged or autonomous drive.
"This means the car will be able to drive itself if the driver chooses, or offer systems that can be adjusted for a more engaging and involved drive," the company said.
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter