BMW Group has shaped its vision of the digital driving experience in the BMW i Vision Dee car, which was presented at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas. Dee stands for Digital Emotional Experience and this gives the car its own personality with which the driver can talk in plain language. The driving experience is partly or completely virtual, according to the wishes of the driver.
BMW Group presented its vision of the digital driving experience at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in early 2023 in Las Vegas. The BMW i Vision Dee, which is part of the NEUE Class, is a sleek version of the mid-size sedan with its own personality. Dee stands for Digital Emotional Experience. The driver and bystanders can talk to Dee and her emotions are visible through the expressive ‘eyes’ of the car.
Mixed Reality Slider
In addition to the personality, the car is equipped with a display that allows the driver to create an analog or virtual driving experience. The display, which covers the entire width of the windscreen, is made up of the Mixed Reality Slider and an expanded version of the Head-Up Display. With the slider, augmented reality elements can be added or the outside world can be completely replaced with a virtual world.
“With the BMW i Vision Dee, we are showing what is possible when hardware and software come together. In this way we can exploit the full potential of digitization to turn the car into an intelligent companion. That is the future for car manufacturers – and for BMW too: the fusion of a virtual experience with a real driving pleasure,” says Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.
BMW i Vision Dee, a personal expression
In addition to the expressive eyes of the car, the personality of the car can be decorated with 32 different colors. The surface consists of 240 E Ink segments, each of which can be individually adjusted. Thus, the motorist can change the appearance of the car at any time. In addition, the motorist can choose not to be visible himself, but to project an avatar on the windows.
“With BMW i Vision Dee, we are showing how a car can be seamlessly integrated into your digital life and become a trusted companion. The car itself becomes a portal to the digital world – with a driver always in control,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design. “Properly implemented, technology creates valuable experiences that make you a better driver and, simply put, bring people and machines closer together.”
Available in 2025
The car looks minimalistic from the outside and inside. Because the driver can talk to Dee, many buttons and displays have been replaced with the Head-Up and Mixed Reality display on the inside of the windscreen. The first prototype of the new car that BMW sees as the epitome of the digital experience has been developed and is expected to be put on the market in 2025.
