BMW recently unveiled a pair of concept cars at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas that showcase how future cars might respond to and reflect the moods of their owners, with moods of their own. The two cars, which look basically the same, are both called the I Vision Dee concept, with Dee standing for “Digital Emotional Experience”. One version of the car features color-changing body panels that can display a full range of colors, including on the wheels. This is an improvement from the “color-changing” concept vehicle that BMW presented at CES last year, which only changed into various shades of gray. BMW I Vision Dee can now curate its exterior in up to 32 colors.
The other I Vision Dee concept was designed to demonstrate new ideas for the “user interface,” which includes how drivers and passengers interact with the vehicle both inside and outside of the car. The exterior of the car, including the front, the area around the headlights, and the “grille” (which is actually a display panel) can display various shapes and colors, creating the appearance of facial expressions and showing different moods or reactions, such as approval, happiness, or astonishment.
“With the BMW I Vision Dee, we are showcasing what is possible when hardware and software merge. In this way, we are able to exploit the full potential of digitalization to transform the car into an intelligent companion. That is the future for automotive manufacturers – and, also, for BMW: the fusion of the virtual experience with genuine driving pleasure,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “At the same time, BMW I Vision Dee is another step on the road to the NEUE KLASSE. With this vision, we are looking far into the future and underlining the tremendous importance of digitalization for our upcoming product generations.”
The car also has a head-up display that stretches across the entire windshield, a feature that BMW plans to implement in production vehicles starting in 2025. As with other head-up displays, the projected images, which could include navigation cues or more involved images, would normally be mostly transparent. In the concept car, images can also be projected onto the side windows. For instance, the driver can select a digital avatar that can be projected onto the side window as a greeting display as the driver approaches the vehicle.
The type of content shown in the windshield and window displays is controlled using a “Mixed Reality Slider,” which is a projected control on the dashboard that is detected by sensors on the surface. Users can select from five different levels of digital content in the window displays, ranging from basic driving information to augmented reality information relating to the outside environment, or even fully virtual worlds that obscure everything outside. BMW I Vision Dee, with its intelligent, almost human capabilities, guides drivers not only on the road, but also in their digital environment.
“A BMW lives by its unparalleled digital performance. BMW I Vision Dee is about perfect integration of virtual and physical experiences,” said Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development. “Whoever excels at integrating the customer’s everyday digital worlds into the vehicle at all levels will succeed in mastering the future of car-building.”
“With BMWI Vision Dee, we are showing how the car can be seamlessly integrated into your digital life and become a trusty companion. The vehicle itself becomes your portal to the digital world – with the driver always in control,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design. “Implemented the right way, technology will create worthwhile experiences, make you a better driver and simply bring humans and machines closer together.”
The I Vision Dee is a sedan rather than an SUV, unlike last year’s CES concept, as the sedan remains “at the core of the BMW brand,” according to the automaker.
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