BMW Press Announcement. There are two pictures on the web site showing the NAV screen and the camera used.
BMW Night Vision available in the 5 and 6 Series as of March. BMW only manufacturer to offer this innovative driver assistance system in a total of five model series.
01/20/2006
Munich. BMW Night Vision, the innovative driver assistance system introduced in the 7 Series in autumn 2005, is available from March 2006 also in the 5 Series Saloon, 5 Series Touring, 6 Series Coupé, and 6 Series Convertible. BMW thus offers this technology for extra safety at night not just in the top-of-the-range model, but also - as the only manufacturer - in a total of five model series, in this way making BMW Night Vision available to a large group of customers. Infra-red technology incorporating a thermal imaging camera for extra safety in the dark. Driver support and active partner protection in one.
BMW Night Vision provides a new dimension of optical perception when driving at night. A thermal imaging camera detects human beings, animals and objects in front of the car before they become visible to the human eye in the headlights. The image generated by the system is trans¬mitted to the central Control Display within the car presenting objects detected with increasing brightness as a function of the heat detected by the camera - and therefore making human beings and animals particularly conspicuous.
The thermal imaging camera covers a range of up to 300 metres or almost 1,000 feet ahead of the car. BMW Night Vision therefore offers the customer particular benefits when driving over land, down narrow lanes, through gateways leading into courtyards, and into dark underground garages, significantly enhancing driving safety at night.
With High-Beam Assist, introduced in autumn 2005 in the 5, 6, and 7 Series, which switches the high beam on and off automatically after activation via the stalk on the steering column, and BMW Night Vision, BMW is making yet a further contribution to the enhancement of traffic safety by means of innovations in technology. Both systems assist the driver in the dark, that is in a situation which requires a particularly high level of concentration. In this way BMW Night Vision and the High-Beam Assist also offer a considerable improvement of motoring comfort.
BMW opts for Far Infra-Red technology (FIR). Thermal imaging camera for enhanced detection of human beings and animals.
Conducting comparative studies and carefully observing independent scientific examinations, BMW's engineers have opted in favour of innovative far infra-red technology (FIR), most efficient in detecting persons, animals and objects at night. FIR offers the following benefits:
- Reduction to the essential:
Far infra-red technology uses a thermal imaging camera highlighting in particular persons, animals and objects irradiating higher temperatures. FIR intentionally does not present a detailed image of the respective traffic situation, which would only delay the recognition of a human being within the overall image. In other words, insig¬nificant details are cancelled out and do not distract the driver.
- FIR enables the driver "to look further":
Covering a range of approximately 300 metres or almost 1,000 feet, FIR "looks" about twice as far as other systems. Hence, the driver is informed earlier on possible hazards - indeed, up to 5 seconds earlier at a speed of 100 km/h.
- FIR cannot be "dazzled":
FIR cannot be dazzled by the headlights of oncoming traffic, by traffic lights, road lights and highly reflective surfaces such as traffic signs. And vehicles with FIR technology do not dazzle each other.
Over and above the advantages offered by the FIR principle from the start, BMW has enhanced this technology by adding further functions: The image presented follows the road in a panning process and distant objects can be shown larger as a function of speed (zooming).
Convenient use of BMW Night Vision like looking in the interior mirror.
BMW Night Vision presents a high-contrast black-and-white night image to the driver on the Control Display in the middle of the instrument panel. Benefiting from FIR technology, the driver only has to briefly check out the Display in order to recognise a hazard. So using BMW Night Vision is comparable to looking into the interior mirror in the car.
Examining the new system, BMW also considered the option to present the image in the driver's primary field of vision, for example in the Head-Up Display or in the instrument cluster, but this option was rejected for ergonomic reasons. Tests have shown that the combination of real-life and virtual images irritates the driver and is not the best solution.
BMW Night Vision in the 5, 6 and 7 Series sells in Germany at a price of Euro 1,950.
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Rick (Ottawa, Canada)
2008 M5 (Interlagos Blue)
2003 530i w. M-Exec. Pkg.(Tit.Silver)
2003 Z4 3.0 (Sterling Gray)..Wife's Toy
2002 325i (Steel Blue)..traded for M5!
2002 330 CiC w. M Pkg. (Imola Red)..traded for 530i.
Blah blah blah... hearing about all the cool european options is the same as going to a strip club, but only the Americans must sit in a dark room, and have people come in perodically a describe what the strippers look like....
The US auto rules will be quick to outlaw this... they dont want "citizens" being able to sneak around the roadways at night sans lights... as terrorists will use the feature to effect nighttime clandestine attacks by strapping a buddy to the hood with an explosive vest and using the BMW's great speed capability and braking quickly to "launch" the terrorist off the hood and into government buildings like a human missile...
Which is also why they restricted the launch control on the M5's...
Here's what I don't understand. If there is something in the road ahead, and you don't make a point of looking at the display in the dashboard, will you see it? If not, If it only 'alerts' you of objects ahead when you look at it, then it's not much good. Otherwise, it sounds pretty cool.
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Mike
2006 E60 M5 Silverstone II/Silverstone/Aluminum, All Options, 35% tint, Aluminum Pedals, Valentine V1 and Passport 9500i Hardwired, Blinder Xtreme M40, Michelin PS2's on 20 inch BBS RS-GT's, Winter Pirelli Sottozeros on OEM 19 inch wheels, Resonator Delete, Charcoal Filters Removed, Eibach Springs and Spacers, Active Autowerks ECU, BMC Filters, RPI Air Intakes, Evosport Pulley. Retired from track duty 10/08. Dinan diff replaced with OEM at my cost due to failure at 56,000 miles. First on the list for the upcoming F10 M5.
These night vision systems are a load of rubbish. I know someone who's just got the latest Mercedes S-class with it fitted and it's an accident waiting to happen. Taking your eyes off the road to look at the night vision is a BAD idea.
I understand that BMW has to compete with Mercedes but please keep this junk for the 7 series and leave the M5 alone - it's got quite enough electronics to go wrong as it is
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Ashok
2002 E39 Carbonblack/Caramel M5 (best car I ever owned)
2005 E60 Blue Onyx/Caramel/Light Figured Ash M5 (worst car I ever owned)
2007 E90 Montego Blue/Black Alpina D3 (sublime) Let me tell you what SMG stands for...
Blah blah blah... hearing about all the cool european options is the same as going to a strip club, but only the Americans must sit in a dark room, and have people come in perodically a describe what the strippers look like....
The US auto rules will be quick to outlaw this... they dont want "citizens" being able to sneak around the roadways at night sans lights... as terrorists will use the feature to effect nighttime clandestine attacks by strapping a buddy to the hood with an explosive vest and using the BMW's great speed capability and braking quickly to "launch" the terrorist off the hood and into government buildings like a human missile...
Which is also why they restricted the launch control on the M5's...
Given our propensity to tinker with our cars, it will be just a matter of time before some modder rigs his car to run at night with only the night vision active. Which will be quickly followed by some poor State Trooper objecting to night vision because they were chasing a speeder at night and the car eluded them. I can’t help but laugh at the possibility that the night driving scene in the original Gumball Rally movie may actually become a reality.
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Shawn
Last edited by Cerberos; 20th January 2006 at 20:54.
This does not sound very safe! If you are going 100 mph, you better keep your eyes on the road. If it alerts you that there is something in the road ahead of you and you look down at the screen to see what it is, you will likely hit the object before you have time to react.
What makes sense to me is a night vision system that works like the HUD and projects on the windshield. I remember seeing something like that in ads from a US manufacturer (Cadillac?) but I'm not sure if it ever made it into production.
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