BMW is expanding its advanced driver-assistance technology with a new suite of safety features designed to reduce unnecessary interventions while helping prevent or mitigate collisions. Called BMW Symbiotic Drive, the technology will debut in the iX3 before eventually making its way to several other BMW models.
BMW Symbiotic Drive Aims to Make Driver Assistance Smarter
Modern vehicle safety has increasingly shifted from simply protecting occupants during crashes toward technologies designed to help prevent accidents in the first place. Anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control were followed by more advanced systems such as adaptive cruise control, steering assistance and autonomous emergency braking.
BMW says its new Symbiotic Drive technology is based on billions of miles of testing data collected from vehicles. The system is designed to understand a driver’s intentions through steering inputs and line of sight, allowing driver-assistance functions to intervene only when necessary.
According to BMW, the approach is intended to significantly reduce phantom braking and other unnecessary interventions from advanced driver-assistance systems.
New BMW Exit Warning System Targets Dooring Risks
One of the new features BMW is highlighting is its Exit Warning system, which can alert drivers to approaching traffic, pedestrians or cyclists when they are preparing to open a vehicle door.
The system can go beyond issuing a warning by physically preventing the door from opening when it detects an imminent danger. Short-wave sensors can identify approaching traffic, whether motorized or not, allowing the electronic door lock to delay the door’s opening.
The emergency handle can override the system. Under normal operation, however, BMW says the technology is designed to help reduce “dooring” incidents involving motorists and cyclists.
BMW Upgrades Lane-Keep and Emergency Steering Assistance
BMW is also enhancing its lane-keep assist technology. The system can provide warnings or steering intervention when it detects an unintended lane departure or an imminent collision.
When the system detects driver input or the turn signal is activated, it remains inactive. Emergency steering intervention can also guide the vehicle around an obstacle while keeping it within its own lane.
The system can additionally activate when another vehicle gets dangerously close, steering the BMW away from the potential collision.
Emergency Braking Adds Animal Detection
BMW is enhancing its autonomous emergency braking system with improved animal detection. The company says the system can better identify animals on the road and respond when one suddenly crosses the vehicle’s path.
BMW will also introduce Attentiveness Assistant with emergency stop. If the driver becomes incapacitated, the system can bring the vehicle to a stop and then trigger a call to emergency services.
Future BMW models will also receive an intervention system designed to address pedal misapplication by applying the brakes when such an event occurs.
BMW Safety Technology Will Expand to More Models
Many of the safety technologies are already available in some BMW vehicles, but the company is looking to strengthen its driver-assistance capabilities by adding new functions and improving existing ones.
The iX3 will be the first model to receive many of the new technologies. The i3 and i4 are expected to follow eventually, along with the recently launched all-new X5 and the heavily updated 7 Series.
BMW’s latest developments highlight the growing use of sensors, cameras and driver-assistance technologies in modern vehicles. With BMW Symbiotic Drive, the company is aiming to make those systems more effective while limiting interventions to situations where they are actually necessary.
