BMW Group launched its latest concept car, the futuristic BMW i Vision Dee inspired by the metaverse. “Dee”, which stands for Digital Emotional Experience, features a voice interface and digital windscreen displays that will be made available from 2025 in the company’s Neue Classe car models. The car company also updated its interactive website, “Joytopia”, featuring a virtual world to explore and interact with Dee.
In an attempt to go beyond existing voice control and driver assistance tech, Dee features a Head-Up-Display that extends along the windscreen of the car. Once activated, the windscreen becomes a display panel that, at its most basic, features a speedometer and other graphics.
A Mixed Reality slider controls the display – this contains BMW’s “shy-tech” sensors where a car’s instrument panel usually exists. Working alongside dimmable windows, the driver can use the sensors to select a variety of features ranging from analog, communications, augmented-reality projection, and even enter into a virtual world.
“In this way, we are able to exploit the full potential of digitalisation to transform the car into an intelligent companion,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. Videos and detailed images of the concept car appear inspired by the metaverse, with the display replacing road pavements with gardens and futuristic buildings.
The entertaining story-based video features both Arnold Schwarzenegger and the 80s concept car Knight Rider.
Externally, Dee contains “phygital” elements – a fusion of digital and physical. In combination with natural language, the technology allows the car to both talk to humans and express emotions with facial expressions through its front headlights and grill. The full exterior surface of the car is made up of e-ink segments and can display up to 32 colors. This enables the side windows of the car to project avatar versions of the driver, extending the interior virtual world to the car’s facade.
BMW showcased the concept car at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. There were hints of things to come when BMW filed trademarks for NFTs and the metaverse in December 2022.
