BMW i Vision Future Interaction concept car showcases in Singapore

For its first time in Southeast Asia, the BMW i Vision Future Interaction concept car has chosen Singapore to call home, at least for the next three days. On show at Performance Motors from today till Sunday, BMW Group Asia brings the BMW i Vision Future Interaction to eager petrol heads and ardent technophiles.

As BMW celebrates its centennial year, the German automaker begins its road to Vision Zero - the idea of accident-free individual mobility - with its i Vision Future Interaction. First unveiled at CES 2016 in Las Vegas, the BMW i Vision Future Interaction is based on the BMW i8 Concept Spyder and represents an important milestone for the company.

The BMW Group is using the BMW i Vision Future Interaction to show what the user interface of the future might look like - including support from high-resolution vehicle displays where the content responds to the situation. In order to make the interaction of the passengers with the vehicle as intuitive as possible, all functions are controlled using touch-sensitive surfaces, gestures and voice. This technology is called AirTouch.

The interior of the i Vision Future Interaction has a thoroughbred, sporty and flexible profile. On the one hand, it supports the driver in manual driving mode with a clearly defined focus. On the other hand, when the vehicle is in its highly automated mode, or Auto mode, the i Vision Future Interaction drives itself without any human input - the steering wheel turns blue and retracts by a few inches.

The BMW i Vision Future Interaction has a head-up display, an instrument cluster with three-dimensional display (autostereoscopic), and a 21-inch panorama display which extends over almost the entire passenger side. Key drive information and data such as speed, speed limits or navigation information is reflected onto the windscreen, and within the driver's field of vision.

As well as the usual information about speed, consumption and range, the driver is also provided with information here about vehicles on the road ahead or oncoming vehicles which are not yet in his or her field of vision. The driver is consequently able to respond at an early stage to all conceivable traffic situations. This also applies during highly automated driving. If the driver needs to take over command of the vehicle, the system provides an appropriate alert.

The technology acts predictively, increasing the reaction time of the driver to at least five to seven seconds, giving him more time to stop or avoid possible hazards. The self-driving technology built into the i Vision Future Interaction concept as well as the gesture-controlled infotainment system is expected to become available on regular production BMWs in the coming years.