BMW LAUNCHED THE I VISION DEE CONCEPT AT CES’23

I VISION DEE CONCEPT – At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas, the BMW Group will present its vision of the future digital experience, both inside and outside the vehicle. The BMW I Vision Dee is a futuristic mid-size sedan with a new, simplified design language. The name “Dee” stands for Digital Emotional Experience, and that is precisely its goal: to strengthen people’s bonds with their cars in the future. “With the BMW I Vision Dee, they are showcasing what is possible when hardware and software merge. In this way, they are able to exploit the full potential of digitalisation to transform the car into an intelligent companion.

That is the future for automotive manufacturers and also, for BMW: the fusion of the virtual experience with genuine driving pleasure,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. BMW I Vision Dee’s intelligent, nearly human capabilities accompany drivers not only on the road but also in their digital environment.

I VISION DEE CONCEPT – Technology

Advanced BMW Head-Up-Display,

Projection across the entire width of the windscreen in BMW I Vision Dee allows information to be displayed on the largest possible surface – which only becomes recognisable as a display once activated.

The standard-production version of the BMW Head-up-Display, which spans the entire width of the windscreen, will be used in NEUE KLASSE models beginning in 2025.

The BMW Mixed Reality Slider

Are the digital highlight and central operating control of the BMW I Vision Dee when combined with the advanced Head-Up Display? Drivers can control how much digital content appears on the advanced Head-Up Display by using low-tech sensors on the instrument panel. The five-step process includes analogue, driving-related information, communications system contents, augmented-reality projection, and virtual-world entry. Dimmable windows can be used in tandem to gradually fade out reality.

Welcome Scenarios

Outside the vehicle, the digital experience begins with a personalised welcome scenario that combines graphical elements, and light and sound effects. Natural language is the most basic and intuitive form of interaction, allowing humans and their vehicles to communicate perfectly. The closed BMW kidney grille and the headlights also form a common phygital (physical and digital fusion) icon on a uniform surface, allowing the vehicle to produce different facial expressions. This means that BMW I Vision Dee can converse with people while also visually expressing emotions such as joy, surprise, or approval. To further personalise the welcome scenario, BMW I Vision Dee can project an image of the driver’s avatar onto the side window.

E-Ink Technology

Instead of simply alternating between black and white, the BMW I Vision Dee now has a multi-coloured, fully variable, and individually configurable exterior. To create this magical display of colour, an ePaper film from BMW Group collaboration partner E Ink is applied to the body. It is possible to display up to 32 colours. The BMW I Vision Dee’s body surface is divided into 240 E Ink segments, each of which is individually controlled.

This enables a nearly infinite number of patterns to be generated and varied in seconds. The laser cutting process used to trim the films, as well as the electronic control design, were created in collaboration with E Ink. The adaptation of this technology for curved surfaces, as well as the animation programming, were developed by BMW Group’s in-house engineers, enabling a form of customization that is unique in the automotive industry worldwide.

Design

The design of the BMW I Vision Dee was purposefully simplified in order to focus attention on the digital experience and the DNA of the BMW brand. The exterior is defined by the classic three-box sedan design that has become synonymous with the BMW brand. Traditional design elements such as the BMW kidney grille, twin circular headlights, and the Hofmeister kink have been reimagined, with digital icons replacing analogue elements.

This gives the BMW I Vision Dee its own digital but human personality. Inside, digitalisation is combined with a minimalist approach to materials, operating controls, and displays to ensure that nothing distracts from the digital experience and the new sense of enhanced driving pleasure. The steering wheel’s unconventional design, with its central vertical spoke, creates touchpoints that come to life when approached or touched and can be operated by moving the thumb. These physical touchpoints control the content projected onto the windscreen and, in conjunction with the Head-Up Display, help to support the principle of “hands on the wheel, eyes on the road”.

“With BMW I Vision Dee, we are showing how the car can be seamlessly integrated into your digital life and become a trusty companion. The vehicle itself becomes your portal to the digital world with the driver always in control,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design.