While the list of BMW technical innovations is long, there are some that stand out as being particularly impressive, so here we have the five best recent BMW technical innovations.
- Head-Up Display
First in the list, BMW’s new Head-Up Display or HUD, takes technology more commonly found on fighter aircraft to project vehicle data such as speed or navigation directions directly into the driver’s normal field of vision. The 4” x 7” HUD is projected onto the screen so that it appears further away from the driver than it actually is, making it easier to focus on the displayed data and the road at the same time. Besides the cool factor, the HUD helps keep the driver’s eyes on the road rather than glancing away to look at conventional gauges on the dash.
- Night Vision
The second technical innovation in the list is the BMW Night Vision feature. The first manufacturer to use Far Infrared technology (FIR), BMW equips its night vision system infrared camera with a wide angle 36 degree lens. A screen in the center of the dash displays an image of the road up to nearly 1000ft ahead of the car, with warm objects appearing as bright shapes against the background; animals and pedestrians are easily seen with the BMW Night Vision system leaving sufficient time for evasive action to be taken.
- Hill Descent Control
Next on the list is a technical innovation developed during BMW‚ Äôs ownership of Land Rover. The Hill Descent Control system is a feature on BMW‚ Äôs X-series vehicles, and makes negotiating steep declines safer by limiting the vehicle speed and controlling each wheel‚ Äôs braking force to maintain control without slippage.
- Brake Energy Regeneration
Fourth on the list is an innovation that not only increases performance, but also increases fuel economy. BMW‚ Äôs Brake Energy Regeneration system is quite ingenious in that the generator only generates electricity while coasting or braking. By removing the generator load from the engine when accelerating or cruising, more of the engine‚ Äôs power is available to propel the vehicle, increasing performance while using less fuel. When the brakes are applied, the resistance created by the generator upon being activated helps to slow the vehicle.
- Child-Recognition System
The fifth best BMW technical innovation has not yet debuted on a production vehicle as development is still being carried out by BMW in conjunction with several universities and safety institutes. The Child-Recognition System, also known as KoTAG, could significantly cut child fatalities from car accidents. The car is equipped with a Doppler radar system that can calculate and predict movement vectors of children carrying a small radio frequency transponder. The system tracks up to 100 movements, and if it predicts that the movement of a target will bring it in the car‚ Äôs path the driver is warned, and if no action is taken the system can slow the car automatically.
