BMW, as part of its i series of vehicles, which are introducing concepts novel to both the brand and the automotive environment, has been quite busy working out the kinks in its Autonomous Drive system.
Unlike some other systems that europe has been experimenting with (Euro SATRE concept, for instance) the BMW system has an end goal of creating Algorithms that allow the car to make the sorts of decisions that allow for full autonomy in a highway or non highway driving environment.
In embracing the idea of driving autonomy to the extent that it has, BMW, a company which has been marketing itself for decades as the "Ultimate Driving Machine", has singlehandedly demonstrated that there is a a fundamental concession that has to be made in the near future in terms of control of your vehicle. On a more fundamentally philosophical level, the power of marketing on the sheer enjoyment of driving has significantly diminished and companies are realizing that, even if they may be able to market on such concepts for this year and perhaps the next, they need to have a longer term philosophical strategy, and supporting technology, to switch emphasis to issues of quality of life for passengers and the mitigation of congestion.
It would not be surprising to see BMW publishing some studies in the near future about the mitigation of a driver environment which has to accomodate both a passive driver and an active driver, depending on the situation.
To us, that is the next step forward in ergonomics. Till then, please let your immagination run wild and enjoy this link.
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/26/bmw-takes-its-autonomous-5-series-onto-the-autobahn/#continued?a_dgi=aolshare_email
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