In this video, we take a look at the BMW iX Driverless Testing Car, or simply, a BMW iX self-driving model. The special self-driving BMW is used internally by BMW testing engineers to automate some of the simulations and testing scenarios performed by humans. It is based on the BMW iX electric car, but it’s equipped with wide range of technology: from GPS units to 5G connections, sensors, emergency braking systems and a full-blown computer placed in the trunk.
BMW says that the car is used for endurance and durability testing, and especially for performing mundane tasks which require a lot of human input. By using this tech in several cars, BMW can free up their engineers also to perform other tasks. Of course, the car comes with safety features for braking or stopping the car, and a lot of fail switches are put in place. The demo took place on a pre-programmed path at the BMW Driving Experience Center in Maisach and it involved driving on straight roads, slaloms between cones, fast maneuvers and emergency braking.
Another exercise showed us a fleet of three driverless BMW models – iX, M3 and M4- which were also programmed to run independently of each other on a preprogrammed route. The idea here was to show that more complicated driving scenarios can be achieved as well, without the use of human drivers.
And while these cars are solely used internally for testing, BMW is indeed preparing the next generation of autonomous driving features in other cars. The upcoming BMW 7 Series is already equipped with Level 2+ self-driving functions, but it’s also equipped with hardware capable of delivering Level 3 functions. Let’s take a look and don’t forget to subscribe to our Youtube channel!
