The 2015 CES event is definitely a special event but it has just been made even more special by BMW and its newest automotive technologies. This time around, the highly credible and luxurious German automotive marquee has introduced a collision avoidance system and a self-parking system designed for its i3 vehicle model. So, it turns out that the BMW M4 Iconic Lights concept vehicle is not the only thing that the German brand is showing off to the public this year.
Speaking of the new self-parking technology of the BMW i3, it works by taking advantage of a number of laser scanners installed onboard the vehicle. These laser scanners gather information and then integrate it with a digital plan that represents a car park. Then, when the BMW i3 thinks it has eventually found an empty spot spacious enough to park itself, the car will drive and park itself at the very spot.
But what if the driver wants to leave the parking spot? Well, all he needs to do is simply to say the world ‘call’ to a certain smartwatch. This works as a voice command that instructs the i3 to leave the parking space and head to the exit of the car park. This has been made possible by the Bavarian company’s so-called Remote Valet Parking Assistant which is a fully automated system. This system works in conjunction with a collision avoidance system that detects all 360 degrees around the car. This enables the i3 to detect if there are any vehicles that are parked inappropriately or if there are any objects along its path. If there are, the i3 will automatically attempt to steer around and avoid these vehicles or objects.
By means of its laser scanners, the BMW i3 is actually capable of detecting if any obstacles are around the car. It can even give out an audible alert to let the driver know that there are obstacles somewhere around the vehicle. Lastly, if the BMW i3 thinks that it is nearing a wall or pillar too quickly, it will automatically apply its brakes so as to avoid any collisions.
