BMW wants its drivers to reap the benefits of advancements in driver-assist technologies, working their way up to autonomous cars.
That might explain why the automaker flexed major muscle in introducing its i Vision Future Interaction mobility concept system, based on the BMW i8 concept, as part of its tech-heavy booth at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center on Thursday morning.
The concept system gives drivers the luxury of choosing between three different driving modes, including Pure Drive, Assisted Drive and Auto Drive.
Obviously, Pure Drive is meant for drivers to be hands-on and control every aspect of the trip. Assisted Drive will afford drivers the luxury of getting the car to handle, let's say the parking or other components. And Auto Drive is essentially auto pilot, as the car's steering wheel turns a different color and even inches forward, giving the driver more leg room to handle whatever else he or she may want to at the time.
A demo of the enthralling i Vision Future Interaction system showed how the concept could help to deliver a mobile office on wheels. While on Auto Drive, the driver gets an alert from the car's interface, saying that he missed a call from his co-worker. Via voice command, he has the car call that co-worker, making it a video-conferencing call and simultaneously checking emails — all while the car handles driving on the highway.
If the system's cloud-based intelligence notices roadside construction, it will notify the driver and he or she will be able to get their hands back on the wheel and manuever accordingly.
The future looks good for BMW ... although it may take time for drivers to experience this system.
