British motoring giant Jaguar Land Rover has developed a new technology which could provide vital assistance to disabled drivers.

JLR’s all-new mobility door prototype will allow owners to open the car door without having to actually touch a button, the door opening as the driver approaches or by a motion gesture.

The automatic door technology is currently being tested on the Range Rover Sport by Invictus gold-medal-winning athlete, Mark Ormrod. The former Royal Marine Commando is Britain’s first triple amputee after being injured in the Afghanistan conflict.

As well as being able to open the door automatically, drivers can also close the door without having to reach and pull the door shut, whilst radar sensors will avoid the doors opening onto lamp posts or other objects.

Ormrod believes that the technology has the potential to change lives for disabled drivers, saying: "This innovative Jaguar Land Rover technology would be such a benefit to me and has real power to change lives for those who face problems getting in and out of the car.

"Opening and closing the car door may seem like such an insignificant task to many people but sometimes it’s the small, everyday obstacles which people take for granted that are most frustrating to overcome for those living with disabilities."

Xu Zhou, deep learning technical research manager at JLR, added: "Jaguar Land Rover research engineers developed the system on a laboratory rig over six months before testing it on a Range Rover Sport.

"As well as helping disabled people, they also see the technology as relevant to all future vehicles.

"The mobility door is an exciting piece of technology that offers a real-world value to our customers.

"There’s also something very welcoming about the door opening on your approach – something we think will be greatly valued as we become more familiar with shared mobility."

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