BMW Goes Full 'Minority Report' At CES 2016
BMW’s latest and greatest infotainment system doesn’t need knobs, man. The automaker announced Monday that it would show off its concept for infotainment next month, dubbed “AirTouch.”
The system, which improves upon the one-finger wagging, waving and gesticulating already in its new 7-Series sedan, would use sensors between the dash and rearview mirror to interpret what your five fingers were looking for.
Was that a phone call that you wanted to make? Did you want the BMW to switch to radio? Activate navigation to direct you home? Oh, you were just waving at that guy. Gotcha.
BMW will announce the new system at the Consumer Electronics Show next month in Las Vegas.
According to the company, both driver and passenger will have a button that would confirm movements by either person — in case you were just waving at some guy.
The automaker said the system would work similarly to a touchpad, without the screen. So, in other words, you wouldn’t have to learn a system in Minority Report style.
More by Aaron Cole
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Now, if they can just supply the turn signals as standard equipment, and no option for the "_______ Delete".
Cars do not work on six-month product lifetimes and Moore's Law the way electronics do. Even the fanciest-lad rides from 2013-2014 have infotainment displays/UX/computational power that feel more Boost Mobile burner-phone than anything 'premium' now. Rides need an open-standard connector one can plug successive gizmos into over the vehicle lifetime instead of hard-integrated gizmos that are outdated after only one year in the wild.
How about reset button, actual button. Just in case the thing hangs. You mad gesturing may also scare other drivers esp in Russia where mob drives expensive cars. Police may think you point the gun even if your are not black - so be careful.
But will it alert you to a red ball? ("Minority Report" was freakin' BRILLIANT, folks...)