British automaker Jaguar Land Rover announced that it is researching on a new connected car technology that will allow the vehicles to detect road conditions like potholes, broken drains and manhole covers.
The automaker said that the data could also be shared in real-time with other drivers and road authorities through the cloud to help the drivers avoid them as well the authorities to address the issue.
The technology is expected to help vehicle owners save thousands of pounds in vehicle damage repairs, as with the prior information about the road condition will help drivers adjust the speed of the vehicle accordingly to reduce the ill effects.
The company said that it is working on the next stage of the project at the Advanced Research Centre in the UK, which will include installation of a new road surface sensing technology including a forward-facing stereo digital camera into its Range Rover Evoque research vehicle.
Jaguar Land Rover Global Connected Car director Mike Bell said that the company is looking for systems that could automatically guide the car around potholes without the car leaving its lane.
The company’s research team is also expected to team up with Coventry City Council to come out with solutions that could help them shared the road profile information with road authorities, and understand what data would be most useful for their roads maintenance.
Mike Bell added: "Our MagneRide equipped Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport vehicles feature sophisticated sensors that allow the vehicle to profile the road surface under the wheels and identify potholes, raised manholes and broken drain covers.
"By monitoring the motion of the vehicle and changes in the height of the suspension, the car is able to continuously adjust the vehicle’s suspension characteristics, giving passengers a more comfortable ride over uneven and damaged road surfaces.
