Jaguar Land Rover is developing a self-learning car to personalise the driving experience and reduce driver distractions.

REMEMBER KITT? Well, now it seems Jaguar Land Rover boffins want to build something similar to the most famous TV car, the Knight Industries Two Thousand.

According to JLR, using the latest in artificial intelligence and machine learning (sounding a little scary) the “self-learning car will offer a comprehensive array of services to the driver, courtesy of a new learning algorithm that recognises who is in the car and learns their preferences and driving style. The software then applies this learning by using a range of variables including your calendar, the time of day, traffic conditions and the weather to predict driver behaviour and take over many of the daily driving ‘chores’, allowing the driver to concentrate on the road ahead,” the brand says in a press release.

Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology for Jaguar Land Rover, says: “The aim of our self-learning technology is to minimise driver distraction, which will help reduce the risk of accidents. Presenting the driver with information just at the right time whilst driving will reduce both cognitive distraction and the need for the driver to look away from the road to scroll through phone lists, or adjust mirrors, temperature or seat functions while on the road.

“Up until now most self-learning car research has only focused on traffic or navigation prediction. We want to take this a significant step further and our new learning algorithm means information learnt about you will deliver a completely personalised driving experience and enhance driving pleasure.”
But that’s not all, “Through the ‘Smart Assistant’, the car will also review your schedule for the day and intelligently pre-set the navigation depending on traffic conditions to avoid congestion. It will also predict your next destination based on your schedule.

“The self-learning car will also know if you are going to the gym, and will have learnt that you prefer a certain temperature on the way there to warm-up, and a different temperature to cool down on your way home. If you always use the massage function at a particular time or location on a journey, the car will be able to predict this as well.

“If you are taking the children to school, the car will recognise every passenger and offer each their own preferred infotainment options – and the ‘Smart Assistant’ will review your calendar and remind you before you leave the house – by sending a note to your smartphone – to collect your children’s sport kit as it knows you are going to their sports day.”

Some of the features included in the Self-Learning Car concept:

• Vehicle Personalisation – climate, seat, steering wheel, mirrors and infotainment settings;
• Destination Prediction – automatic destination entry to navigation system based on historical usage;
• Fuel Assist– suggests fuel stations which have the driver’s preferred brand and location, based on historical usage. The car will let you know if you have enough fuel before long journeys the day before you travel;
• Predictive Phone Call – predicts who you are likely to call in a certain situation;
• Passenger Awareness – will activate passenger preferred infotainment settings and personal climate zones;
• Intelligent Notifications – based on traffic situation, the car can alert people that you will be late or provide relevant contextual updates such as flight delays on your drive to the airport;
• Auto Adaptive Cruise Control (AACC) – when AACC is activated, the car applies the distance setting and acceleration profile it has learned when the driver is driving the vehicle.

And, just in case you need a reminder about KITT and just how great the original TV series was click the link… Enjoy.