German automaker BMW has introduced a car with a distinctive feature that may make police work more challenging. The automaker unveiled a prototype of a car that will allow owners to change the vehicle's colour in seconds. The car also showcases digital features like projecting driving data across the inside of the windshield.
This car, called i Vision Dee, was presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas at an event attended by "Terminator" actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"BMW i Vision Dee shows what's possible when hardware and software are combined. This allows us to exploit the full potential of digitalisation to transform the car into an intelligent companion," said Oliver Zipse, BMW's CEO.
"That is the future for automotive manufacturers - and for BMW, also: the fusion of the virtual experience with genuine driving pleasure."
Last year at the same event, BMW unveiled a car that could change hue, but only from white to black and grey in between. But the body of the new car can change in a rainbow of colours, in one solid hue, or in stripes or checks.
BMW i Vision Dee is just an idea for now but it is supposed to shape the design of future cars from the luxury manufacturer.For example, having driving data such as speed or direction flash on the windshield is scheduled to be an option as of 2025.
BMW has also raised the possibility of projecting augmented reality images on the windshield and turn it into a full-fledged screen with technology that mixes "real and virtual worlds." The idea is to use software to create "the ultimate companion" offering a personalized driving experience, said BMW chief Oliver Zipse. The name Dee is an acronym for digital emotional experience.
Schwarzenegger joked about a prototype brimming with all this new technology. "I was a little concerned because in most of my movies the machine was the enemy. Now they are the allies," he said.
(With inputs from AFP)
