BMW has unveilied its most current infotainment creation at the 2017 consumer electronics Show. The futuristic HoloActive Touch display system develops on the AirTouch gesture control tech seen at CES the same time last year.
The HoloActive Touch system combines that gesture control system with touchscreens and tech similar to that of head-up displays to create a whole new interior layout. The information and controls spill out of the screen on the centre console and is ideal at the driver’s fingertips.
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• CES 2017: most current automobile tech news
All of the functions displayed on the screens can be managed with no physical contact whatsoever – a cam tracks the driver’s hand, registering the position of the fingertip and detecting when it comes into contact with one of the holographic projections.
The motorist must also experience “tactile feedback” when scrolling through the virtual menus by means of ultrasound waves.
It’s a look into the future for sure, and a future that may not be too far off. In 2015, BMW debuted the gesture control technology now available in the current 7 series and 5 series models, setting a precedent that the technology normally on show is destined for future production.
HoloActive Touch will form the centrepiece of BMW’s theme for CES. It’s part of the BMW i inside Future study, which will showcase “the mobility experience set to be used by effortlessly connected and autonomously-driving cars and trucks in the future”. The show kicks off on 3 January.
Read everything we know about the 2017 consumer electronics show here.