BMW i Vision Dee shows new reaches of digital tech
BMW’s new vision of a digital world on wheels, the BMW i Vision Dee midsize sedan concept, reveals a smorgasbord of technologies the German automaker is cooking up to blend virtual and physical experiences.
“With the BMW i Vision Dee, we are showcasing what is possible when hardware and software merge,” BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse said at a keynote address on Wednesday at CES. “We are able to exploit the full potential of digitalization to transform the car into an intelligent companion.”
The marquee technology in Dee, which means Digital Emotional Experience, is a head-up display that projects information across the vehicle’s windshield.
Current head-up displays project a small field of view. Expanding that field can create a more immersive experience for both driver and passengers.
“With our technology, everyone in the car can see the same information, even the people in the back,” BMW brand design head Domagoj Dukec said.
Using a “mixed reality slider” on the dashboard, the driver can adjust content displayed on the windshield, including driving-related information, infotainment, augmented reality and virtual reality.
The slider “can turn from a physical world to a digital one,” Dukec said.
BMW said the technology will be available in production cars on its next-generation Neue Klasse platform arriving mid-decade.
Using the windshield rather than a dashboard-based instrument cluster or a center display delivers critical driving information in the driver’s natural line of sight, allowing them to keep their eyes on the road.
The windshield display also eliminates the need for dashboard-based screens, enabling a minimalist interior.
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