Plenty Of BMW Technology At CES

BMW rolled out two different i8 concepts along with an i3 and more to show off its latest technology at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show.

Anyway, this is technically not an i8, but rather the BMW iVision Future Interaction concept.

The first is a head-up display that’s said to offer the firm’s next-gen technology of projected speed, speed limits and navigation on the windscreen.

The driver can get information through a head-up display, an instrument cluster with three-dimensional display and 21-inch panorama display that extends across the top of the dashboard.

Lastly, along with the i8 Mirrorless, BMW is showing the i3 Extended Rearview Mirror.

Along with the usual speed, consumption and range readouts, the driver receives information about cars on the road ahead as well as oncoming traffic not yet in the field of vision. In Pure mode, the drive ensures optimum performance.

The group showcased a concept vehicle that provides an insight into the networked cockpit and the user interface of the future. The steering wheel, meanwhile, also glows blue to indicate the vehicle is driving for you.

The most striking aspect of the newly laid out interiors is the incorporation of three display units all aimed at making the drivers job all the more easy. Some 15.7 ins. (40 cm) high and nearly 10.2 ins.

While the exterior of the Future Interaction concept may appear largely like your everyday i8 – bar the missing roof and doors – the interior is where this auto has been mostly redesigned. (22.3-cm) screen used by the existing i8 coupe.

The concept is based on a BMW i8 Concept Spyder.

Make a call on your phone, for instance, and should you pop your auto into its self-driving mode, the call will switch to Facetime-like video.

A further development is Air Touch.

The large screen can be operated via BMW’s new AirTouch system, which allows for touchscreen-like interaction, including swipes and pushes or clicks, without any physical contact with the screen. Unsurprisingly, it’s a future filled with all kinds of dynamic and interactive displays that can be controlled with the touch of a finger or, even better, a wave of a hand.

Sensors record hand movements in the area between the central console and the interior mirror. A concealed AirTouch button is located along the rim of the steering wheel. It illuminates when a menu or icon can be activated.