Welcome to the Digital Emotional Experience.
BMW i Vision Dee aims to push the boundaries of automotive technology in a new way. The concept is a preview of what will distinguish BMW’s “Neue Klasse” vehicles starting in 2025.
Last year at CES, BMW debuted what they called “Flow Featuring E Ink.” The technology allowed an iX to switch its exterior color between black and white. This year’s i Vision Dee concept can cycle between as many as 32 colors. 240 film panels around the outside of the car adjust color individually.
Inside the car has a HUD that spans the entire width of the windshield. That is what BMW means with the name Dee, or Digital Emotional Experience.
Choose your reality
BMW I Vision Dee features a “Mixed Reality Slider” that allows you to adjust how much information the HUD displays. Through five levels of adjustment, drivers select between information specific to the car all the way to augmented reality features and “entry into virtual worlds.” The latter saved presumably for when the car is parked.
Even the windows themselves hold the ability to dim down and focus your attention forwards.
Phygital, BMW created a new word
Phygital, as you might have guessed, is a combination of physical and digital. BMW coined the term to described the i Vision Dee’s exterior functions. Those functions include the car’s ability to not only greet you, but make “facial expressions.” BMW claims the car can express moods such as joy, astonishment and approval.
BMW says they kept the rest of the car’s design minimal so that it doesn’t distract from the new digital features. Otherwise, the details on this concept are relatively few. However, it’s a sure sign that BMW is working on impressive technology for models in the near future.
In the meantime, check out the technology that’s available here and now on the BMW iX M60:
