The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas has become a significant car show, with manufacturers using it to display their predictions of what the future may hold. Last year BMW unveiled gesture control, which made it into the new 7 Series. This year they unveiled quite a few new innovations. Here are the highlights:
BMW i Vision Future Interaction
The BMW i Vision Future Interaction may just look like a copper-colored i8 Spyder, but it is packed full of new technology. It features high-resolution displays whose content adjusts to match the situation with functions controlled by gestures, touch-sensitive surfaces and voice control. Information is displayed for the driver through a head-up display, a three-dimensional display in the instrument cluster, and 21-inch panorama display that stretches across the dash.
BMW has taken gesture control to a whole new level with AirTouch. Sensors in the BMW i Vision Future Interaction recognize movements made with the hand and also depth movements. This means that the panorama display can be operated like a touchscreen without having to actually touch the surface.
i3 Receives A Different Type of Gesture Control
BMW also showed off an i3 concept which can recognize gestures, and drive itself into and out of a parking spaces fully automatically. This is not done from the driver's seat though, but remotely from outside of the car!
And speaking of remotely, the i3 on display also featured a new Remote 3D View. This research application uses the cameras in the BMW i3 as constituent elements of the Internet of Things. The images taken by the cameras can be streamed to networked end devices and provide an overview of the area around the vehicle.
One way that this Remote 3D View can be used is via an app BMW calls Bumper Detect. This app identifies whether the driver’s own vehicle being parked has been bumped and activates the vehicle cameras. The networked systems at the same time send a message to the driver’s smart phone, and images are sent if requested. Bumper Detect also recognises whether unauthorised persons are tampering with the vehicle and sends images to the networked mobile end devices.
Mirrorless BMW i8
BMW has replaced the mirrors in the i8 with a system of three cameras that replaces the side and rearview mirrors. This system covers larger viewing angles and eliminates dangerous “blind spots”. Images from the cameras are united on a display which replaces the interior mirror. The system evaluates camera images and provides a situative response to imminent hazards, for example with yellow warning icons. It can also superimpose trajectory lines to provide support during parking, and the passenger can also observe the traffic behind the vehicle.
With the advancement of automotive technology making leaps and bounds year after year, you start to realize that the the "i" in BMW i does really stand for innovation!—Nate Risch
