BMW looks at introducing augmented reality glasses to its cars
Firm has also showcased enhanced in-car gaming
BMW will expand the video, gaming and augmented-reality features available in its cars, with the firm revealing a range of new advancements.
Shown at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where BMW last year revealed a colour-changing car, one of the main pieces of technology are augmented-reality (AR) glasses, which the firm says will ‘enrich the driving experience in the future’.
The AR glasses can show navigation instructions, entertainment content as well as information on electric car charging. While yet to be fully integrated into a production vehicle, BMW is continuing to explore the feature as it says ‘mixed reality’ technology will become ‘increasingly popular’ in the next few years.
BMW has already introduced in-car gaming (for when the vehicle is stationary) into cars like the i5 and says that more games are being available to customers, while physical controllers will be able to operate the games in the future – such as for when an EV is charging.
While Amazon Fire TV is already built into BMW’s flagship 7 Series, the firm has expanded its video offering and is using a similar operating system as the latest smart TVs.
Elsewhere, BMW had made changes to its voice assistant and automated parking features, with the former being powered by Amazon Alexa and its artificial intelligence. The firm says the expanded service enables ‘human-like interactions and dialogue’.
At CES BMW is also demonstrating its latest Level 4 self-parking feature, which includes an ‘automated valet parking’ assist. It works by the customer leaving their vehicle in a dedicated drop-off area, with the car then autonomously finding available space and can then be brought back to the drop-off area once the customer is ready.
BMW is offering various demonstrations across Las Vegas for those attending CES to try out its latest technology.
