We’ve seen fully autonomous driving technology used in a variety of different applications, from simple A-to-B cruising and people moving, to high-speed racing and performance. Now, Jaguar Land Rover is taking the robo chauffeurs off the beaten path as part of a new all-terrain self-driving research project.

Continue reading for the full story.

The Full Story

With self-driving technology frequently making headlines these days, it makes sense for a company like Jaguar Land Rover, which is well-known for its off-road-worthy lineup of SUVs, to combine its rough-stuff know-how with autonomous tech. Now, we’re getting our first look at just such an effort, including the above-featured two-minute, seven-second video, which shows some of JLR’s finest tackling the terrain, highlighting how the onboard features respond to the surrounding environment.

It’s called Project Cortex, and it promises Level 4 and Level 5 off-road automated driving, exploring the possibility of “all-terrain, all-weather autonomous capability.”

To make it all work, JLR says it’s implementing something calling 5D technology. Basically, each outfitted SUV comes with a variety of sensors and systems, including acoustic, video, radar, and lidar, all of which gather pertinent data and feeds it to a central processor, which then figures out the right responses for throttle, braking, and steering inputs. The system also includes machine learning capabilities to help to make the most of it and self-improve over time.

The result, JLR contends, is a system that will be able to handle “any weather condition” and any terrain, including “dirt, rain, ice, snow, or fog.”

“It’s important that we develop our self-driving vehicles with the same capability and performance customers expect from all Jaguars and Land Rovers,” said Chris Holmes, Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Research Manager at Jaguar. “Self-driving is an inevitability for the automotive industry and ensuring that our autonomous offering is the most enjoyable, capable, and safe is what drives us to explore the boundaries of innovation.”

Funding for this exploration comes to the tune of 3.7 million pounds, or $4.9 million at current exchange rates (05/30/2018). JLR is also partnering with the University of Birmingham to assist with development.

This latest autonomous project coincides with JLR’s continuing effort in the realm of all-electric powertrains, most notably with the new I-Pace SUV. Combine the two, and we could be seeing a rather lust-worthy high-end SUV.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Land Rover Range Rover.

Read our full review on the 2018 Land rover Range Rover Sport.

Read more Land Rover news.