BMW is developing a full-screen head-up display for 2025’s Neue Klasse - Ars Technica

Enlarge / On the left, BMW's 2021 one Vision Circular concept; connected the right, this year's one Vision Dee.

BMW

I'm astir bittersweet to not beryllium successful Las Vegas for the yearly Consumer Electronics Show, and for the 2nd twelvemonth running, that fearfulness of missing retired is owed to a caller augmented world show for cars. Last year, it was a caller in-plane holographic optical constituent show from Texas Instruments that projects an representation onto the aboveground of the windshield, dissimilar a accepted head-up display, which throws a smaller representation retired into abstraction up of the driver.

This year, it's a caller BMW conception car that previews immoderate of the tech we'll spot successful the company's Neue Klasse EVs, which volition diagnostic full-windshield augmented world erstwhile they spell into accumulation successful 2025.

The conception is called the BMW one Vision Dee, with the "Dee" lasting for "digital affectional experience" alternatively than suggesting that BMW designers are fans of It's Always Sunny successful Philadelphia.

Enlarge / This rendering gives you an thought of what the augmented world windshield would look like. You tin besides spot the operator utilizing the mixed world slider, which is "shy tech" that's hidden down the trim connected the dashboard and invisible erstwhile not successful use.

BMW

It's a companion portion to the BMW one Vision Circular we saw successful 2021. That conception explored much sustainable manufacturing; this 1 tries retired caller human-machine interface ideas, including a mixed-reality slider that lets drivers determine however overmuch integer contented they privation the car to amusement them, with everything from basal driving accusation to virtual worlds being projected onto the windows—of course, that mode is lone meant for usage with autonomous driving.

"With the BMW one Vision Dee, we are showcasing what is imaginable erstwhile hardware and bundle merge. In this way, we are capable to exploit the afloat imaginable of digitalization to alteration the car into an intelligent companion," said BMW Chairman Oliver Zipse. "That is the aboriginal for automotive manufacturers—and, also, for BMW: the fusion of the virtual acquisition with genuine driving pleasure. At the aforesaid time, BMW one Vision Dee is different measurement connected the roadworthy to the Neue Klasse. With this vision, we are looking acold into the aboriginal and underlining the tremendous value of digitalization for our upcoming merchandise generations."

I'm not definite however overmuch the signifier of the one Vision Dee volition construe to a accumulation Neue Klasse sedan—BMW is readying aggregate models and versions of the caller EV platform, overmuch similar it did with the archetypal Neue Klasse sedans and coupes successful the 1960s and 1970s. But I anticipation the minimalist attack to styling survives, arsenic I find the exterior signifier alternatively fetching.

Interior renderings amusement a dense usage of "shy tech," thing we archetypal saw from BMW with the Vision iNext, a conception that became the accumulation iX. BMW calls this "reductive design"; it hides interaction controls down trim and mostly makes them vanish from show erstwhile not successful use.

I'm little definite we'll spot immoderate of the Dee's different ideas successful production. While full-windshield augmented world displays are successful the works, until the advent of existent autonomous driving systems sold successful user cars (as opposed to robotaxis similar Waymo), I'm not definite determination volition beryllium request for windows that tin dim to artifact the extracurricular world, though if the car tin thrust itself, turning that abstraction into displays for the occupants could travel successful rather useful if you get stuck successful dense traffic.

Enlarge / Another look astatine the one Vision Dee's interior.

BMW

Still, the implementation successful the Dee seems rather clever, with a slider that the operator tin usage to determination done 5 stages of accusation display. The astir basal of these shows the accusation you'd request portion driving—speed, directions, and truthful on. More information-dense stages adhd successful infotainment and communications, past augmented reality, and finally, that afloat virtual satellite that blocks retired the existent 1 (at slightest temporarily).

The Dee besides features immoderate exterior show tech, too. BMW is keeping its accepted kidney grille arsenic the look of its vehicles, but here, it's successful the signifier of an progressive grille that closes disconnected the chemoreceptor erstwhile cooling is not needed. The surfaces of the grille covers are e-ink displays that, unneurotic with the headlights, tin make antithetic "facial" expressions for the car.

It's not the archetypal time we've seen an thought for cars utilizing ocular cues to communicate with different roadworthy users and pedestrians, and it's improbable to beryllium the last. In fact, the full car is covered successful e-ink panels—240 individually controlled segments, each of which tin show up to 32 colors.

This video demonstrates the one Vision Dee's e-ink assemblage panels.

"With BMW one Vision Dee, we are showing however the car tin beryllium seamlessly integrated into your integer beingness and go a trusty companion. The conveyance itself becomes your portal to the integer world—with the operator ever successful control," said Adrian van Hooydonk, caput of BMW Group Design. "Implemented the close way, exertion volition make worthwhile experiences, marque you a amended driver, and simply bring humans and machines person together."