BMW to display dashboard of the future
For as long as there have been science fiction movies, there have been fascinating glimpses of what cars of the future could be like. Some have been nothing more than fantasies while others have become realities decades later (although the flying car is still to appear in showrooms). Concept cars have also shown us what we may drive in the next decade or what our children may drive in 2030.
The BMW Group has long provided glimpses of what it might appear in its cars in future through its many concept models. And next year, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017 in Las Vegas, the company will provide another glimpse into the interior of the future with a selection of concepts and revolutionary technology.
The BMW HoloActive Touch system, for example, will be making its debut at the show. This innovative interface between the driver and vehicle acts like a virtual touchscreen; its free-floating display is operated using finger gestures and confirms the commands with what the driver perceives as tactile feedback.
BMW HoloActive Touch is part of the BMW i Inside Future study, which will give visitors an impression of the mobility experience set to be offered by seamlessly connected and autonomously-driving cars in the future. It brings together the advantages of the BMW Head-Up Display, BMW gesture control and direct touchscreen operation, and adds extra features to create a unique form of user interface.
For the first time, the functions can be controlled without any physical contact with materials, but the technology still enables the visible and tangible driver-vehicle interaction familiar from conventional touchscreens. BMW HoloActive Touch also allows the user to access the wide variety of services provided by BMW Connected. The seamless integration of the personal digital mobility companion is highlighted even more vividly by the extremely intuitive interaction.
Head-Up Display and AirTouch technologies are already available in production BMW models BMW has developed a track record for presenting pioneering advances in the field of display and operating concepts at previous editions of the CES. The BMW gesture control technology unveiled at the show in 2015 is now available in both the new 7-Series and new 5-Series models. And the AirTouch system showcased at CES 2016 took things a step further; here, the user employs simple gestures made with an open hand to activate control pads on a large panoramic display in the dashboard without having to touch the control interface.
A camera detects the driver's hand movements within this ergonomically user-friendly area, and registers the position of their fingertips, in particular. As soon as a fingertip makes contact with one of these virtual control surfaces, a pulse is emitted and the relevant function is activated.
It sounds like something out of that movie 'Minority Report' and going by how concepts shown by BMW have appeared in production models, we could well see HoloActive Touch in a new model before the decade ends.
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