A few days ago, the Vision BMW i Interaction EASE self-driving human-computer interaction concept cockpit made its world premiere at the 2020 North American Consumer Electronics Show. Its concept of human-computer interaction that transcends reality shows the future of BMW’s natural interaction forward-looking, allowing people to experience the wonderful travel fun in the era of autonomous driving in advance. BMW firmly believes that personal mobility is fascinating and emotionally powerful. As the most inspiring travel and technology company, BMW creates a unique and outstanding travel experience for users through products and services, and will provide the best solutions for personal travel both today and in the future.
Mr. Fu Lexi, director of research and development of BMW Group, said: “Autonomous driving does not only mean freeing hands, but also means obtaining a higher quality experience in the car. Drivers and passengers can obtain personalized and emotional user experience. Vision BMW The i Interaction EASE self-driving human-computer interaction concept cockpit combines advanced technology with stunning design, creating a perceptual, even humane connection between the individual and the car.”
In BMW’s view, human-vehicle interaction should be simple, intuitive and, in the future, human-friendly. The Vision BMW i Interaction EASE self-driving human-computer interaction concept cockpit jointly created by the BMW Group and the Designworks R&D department makes full use of many cutting-edge technologies such as eye-tracking system, artificial intelligence (AI), panoramic head-up display system, and smart glass. Immersive rich experience. Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President of BMW Group Design, said: “Vision BMW i Interaction EASE autonomous driving human-computer interaction concept cockpit shows us that when autonomous driving is popularized, the travel experience will become more luxurious. Intuitive and user-friendly. Passengers feel at home while on the road.”
Looking forward to the future development direction of human-computer interaction
Today, travel is the link connecting life, work and other scenes. In the era of autonomous driving in the future, the car will become a mobile, social entertainment place, work and study center that constantly interacts with the surroundings, and become a “third space” outside the workplace and home. The BMW Group has raised human-computer interaction to a new level through the Vision BMW i Interaction EASE autonomous driving human-computer interaction concept cockpit, making the interaction process easy and natural, almost like human interaction.
In the intelligent human-computer interaction mode, in addition to the existing natural voice control, gesture control and touch screen control, an artificial intelligence system with gaze tracking and interpretation capabilities is also applied for the first time, opening up a new interactive experience and allowing the car to be more intelligent. Respond well to the direct and indirect needs of passengers. When the vehicle is driving on the road, the vehicle’s artificial intelligence technology will use the eye-tracking function to browse the surrounding environment of the vehicle and the user. When passengers find interesting buildings or places outside the vehicle and fix their eyes on the target, the artificial intelligence technology will monitor Passengers’ line of sight, and judge whether to provide passengers with information options for the target, and then realize the interaction with the target object through voice or gesture commands. For example, when passengers focus on a restaurant or theater they are interested in, the system will provide information about the restaurant or theater, and can further book tables or tickets according to demand. It is worth mentioning that this innovative form of human-computer interaction is inspired by the communication between people. Usually, when people communicate, they will naturally focus their eyes on the object of conversation or the things they are talking about.
The artificial intelligence system processes sound and visual information received from various sensors, and interprets it according to driving conditions, time, location and vehicle signals, so that users do not need to deliberately learn specific instructions in different modes.
BMW was the first premium automaker to implement a head-up display system in a mass-produced model, and is now the first to introduce a panoramic head-up display system that expands the area of the display system to the entire front windshield of the car. The system effectively turns the real world into an immersive augmented reality interface by superimposing another layer of digital information on top of it, allowing users to see everything that comes from reality and is higher than reality. With the help of 5G interconnection and cloud technology, the vehicle will display the current location, road conditions and corresponding information around the vehicle on the windshield according to the current situation and the surrounding environment of the vehicle.
In 2021, the first batch of functions of the Vision BMW i Interaction EASE autonomous driving human-computer interaction concept cockpit will be carried on BMW iNEXT mass-produced models.
Looking forward to the future development direction of the cockpit space
The humanized experience of Vision BMW i Interaction EASE self-driving man-machine interaction concept cockpit starts from the moment you get on the car. The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant will recognize passengers when they approach the vehicle, greet passengers with intelligent welcome lighting, and then guide passengers to sit down through dynamic interior lights.
The interior design is warm and cozy, creating an unparalleled comfortable home atmosphere, making passengers feel like they are at home. The soft and comfortable seat adopts 3D three-dimensional weaving design, and has embedded smart materials, allowing users to complete various operations by touching the surface of the seat, making the machine-computer interaction as easy and smooth as flowing water. The smart glass on both sides of the cockpit can be transparent or not according to the needs, so as to hide the seat area from the outside, so that the privacy of passengers can be best protected.
The super-large panoramic head-up display system located directly in front of the seat is the core element of the Vision BMW i Interaction EASE autonomous driving human-computer interaction concept cockpit. Through it, customers can change three different car interiors in the same car space according to their different scene needs. The environmental mode can meet the individual needs to the greatest extent. The three modes are “Explore”, “Entertain” and “Ease”. Passengers can easily understand the information around the location of the vehicle, and can also enjoy a moment of tranquility, relax, or enjoy entertainment in the car, making the small space in the car a private space for passengers.
In “Explore” mode, the interior space is focused on the driver’s need to understand the surrounding environment. BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant uses AR technology to superimpose information of interest to passengers on the display screen, so that it appears at the position corresponding to the passenger’s line of sight and the real world. Users can also view additional information on demand to interact with more distant areas. Passengers can also get richer content on the display by keeping their eyes on the information of interest and move to the next level of interaction with a confirmation gesture.
The “Entertain” mode allows passengers to fully immerse themselves in the entertainment experience. In this mode, the panoramic head-up display system becomes a movie screen, and the glass on both sides of the cabin is dimmed. At the same time, the ambient light is adjusted to a private mode, and the entire car is like a private theater.
After activating the “Ease” mode, the vehicle will become a quiet and comfortable bedroom. Passengers can move the seat to a “zero-gravity” position by touching the smart material, so as to obtain a floating and relaxed sitting position. At this time, the BMW intelligent personal assistant will dim the panoramic head-up display system, and the glass on both sides of the car will also become opaque privacy glass. At the same time, the ambient light allows passengers to bathe in soft light, and the harmonious and pleasant sound permeates the entire cockpit.
