BMW presented their new i Vision Dee (for Digital Emotional Experience) midsize sedan concept at CES last week, with an emphasis on blending real and virtual experiences. BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse said the car showcases “what is possible when hardware and software merge—we are able to exploit the full potential of digitalisation to transform the car into an intelligent companion”.
There’s a HUD, for example, which projects information clear across the vehicle’s windshield. That’s a big change from most HUDs, which project only within a small, constrained area directly in front of the driver. Expanding the field brings a more immersive experience for driver and passengers alike.
Using a ‘Mixed Reality’ slider on the dashboard, the driver can adjust content displayed on the windshield—options include driving-related information; infotainment; augmented reality, and virtual reality. BMW say this technology will be available in production cars on their next-generation Neue Klasse platform slated to arrive in a couple of years’ time.
