BMW is expanding its image-data collection program in Europe, using information gathered from customer vehicles on public roads to help improve driver assistance and partially automated driving systems. The company says real-world situations encountered by its growing fleet of Neue Klasse-based vehicles can provide data that cannot always be reproduced through simulations or development testing.
BMW Builds on Plans Announced in April
BMW first outlined its plans in April, when the automaker said it would use data from customer vehicles to improve safety. The Munich-based company said participation requires the owner’s consent and that recordings would only be triggered by specific driving situations.
BMW has now provided additional details about how the system operates and which vehicles are included in the program.
While BMW can simulate numerous scenarios and test technology with development vehicles, real-world traffic can present unpredictable situations that engineers may not have anticipated. Customer vehicles can therefore provide additional information as Neue Klasse-based models become more widely deployed.
Image Data Collection Is Limited to Neue Klasse Models
BMW says it has been able to collect this type of image data in EU member states since April. The program applies to Neue Klasse vehicles equipped with the cameras, sensors and computing architecture required to capture information about their surroundings.
The vehicles include the new iX3 and i3, along with the new-generation X5 and 7 Series facelift. Future models will also participate in the data-gathering program.
Recordings Are Triggered by Specific Events
BMW says the system does not record continuously. Instead, it is event-based and activates only when a relevant predefined situation occurs.
A recording could be triggered when an assistance system prevents a potential collision during a highway lane change, when automatic emergency braking activates, when the driver brakes particularly hard or when the driver suddenly swerves to avoid something.
When one of these events occurs, the vehicle can collect video from exterior cameras along with information from other environmental sensors. Driving data, including speed, direction of travel and steering angle, can also be recorded.
BMW says video recording is limited to 120 seconds per event.
BMW Addresses Data Privacy Concerns
BMW says it has implemented what it calls “privacy-by-design” measures for the program. The vehicle identification number is deleted as soon as the data reaches BMW’s IT backend, meaning the information can no longer be linked to a specific vehicle.
The company also says its systems do not identify individual road users. If BMW employees need to access individual recordings for development purposes, faces and license plates belonging to other road users are obscured before playback whenever technically possible.
The cameras can capture more than the BMW itself, including other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, road signs and the surrounding environment.
Data Supports Future Software Improvements
BMW says the footage is being collected to help its driver assistance systems respond to real-world situations. The company is placing greater emphasis on software-defined functionality as part of its Neue Klasse offensive, including powerful computers, over-the-air updates and more advanced driver assistance systems.
The automaker says image and sensor data can be used through machine learning to further develop driver assistance and partially automated driving functions. Improvements could then potentially be delivered to customers through OTA software updates.
Through the expanding data collection program, BMW aims to use information gathered from customer vehicles to improve how future driver assistance systems respond to real-world situations and help vehicles avoid accidents more effectively.
