New BMW i Vision Dee Concept Aims To Blur The Lines Between Virtual & Real Worlds

Debuts new level of digital integration in the driving experience with a head-up display spanning the entire windscreen

• New concept car features more intuitive AI for more natural conversations with users.

• Shows potential of new projection technology, turning the windscreen itself into a display.

• Compact design inspired by old BMW sedans with modern styling and digital surfaces.

• Mixed Reality Slider to adjust the level of digital experiences for the user.

• Debuts new version of E Ink technology, capable of switching between 32 exterior colours.

Following a social media marketing campaign that had many scratching their heads, BMW has finally debuted its latest technological project - the i Vision Dee concept where ‘Dee’ stands for ‘D’igital ‘E’motional ‘E’xperience, and that’s what BMW aims to offer in its next-generation of automobiles. 

Retro-style design

The concept vehicle blends the core history of BMW (by embodying the shape of a compact three-box sedan) with a digital and electric future. It features smooth and well-defined lines, big glass surfaces that also act as displays and sporty details such as the flared wheel arches and the creases in the bonnet design. The closed grille still has kidney-like cutouts that span the width of the concept, housing the headlights as well as the displays that help the car ‘express’ itself.

Colour-changing exterior

BMW already showcased a previous concept with the ability to change its exterior colour with the iX Flow. It was wrapped in E Ink technology and could switch between white or black at the touch of a button. Since then, BMW has worked with E Ink to cover the i Vision Dee in an ePaper film capable of displaying 32 colours, including patterns like racing stripes. 

It’s even better than a video game because you don’t need to go to a special location to change the colour of the car. 

New immersive head-up display

The i Vision Dee demonstrates new possibilities for a driver-centric digital experience with the ability to project visuals across the entire width of the windscreen. Once activated, the windscreen becomes the head-up display allowing for better integration of informative graphics, updates, and augmented reality features as well. BMW has stated that a production version of a windscreen-wide head-up display will be offered in its new-generation models from 2025.

Talking car or virtual companion?

The i Vision Dee’s digital assistant is called Dee. It is capable of more natural-sounding language structure to interact and ‘talk’ with the user for a more intuitive experience. The aforementioned displays integrated into the kidney grille design also allow the system to simulate different facial expressions, matching what Dee is saying or reacting to the user. 

The concept can also project an image of the driver’s digital avatar on the side window to further personalise the ‘welcome’ scenario, going beyond just a name on a screen or a text-to-speech voice note.

The i Vision Dee concept combines the new visual projection capabilities with light and sound effects and even cabin scents, for a digitally immersive experience.

Minimalist cabin

Since the latest BMW concept is about adding to the driving experience and not replacing it with autonomous technology, the i Vision Dee does present you with a large, rectangular steering wheel. 

It’s also the only physical control device on the entire dashboard. There are no other physical buttons or displays to be seen. Any and all other controls are touch-based and housed below the upholstered surface, visible by backlighting when needed, as part of the phygital experience.

The only other visual element on the dashboard is a sequence of five connected dots called the Mixed Reality Slider.

BMW’s Mixed Reality Slider

These ‘phygital’ controls allow the user to select the amount of digital information being projected on to the windscreen of the i Vision Dee. The first dot is essentially the vehicle being offline, so the base setting is the second dot. 

In its basic setting, it only offers driving data such as speed and range. Slide it on to the third dot, and your windscreen now has more colourful graphics for the driving details and Dee while adding notifications from your phone or social media in the middle. All three sections of graphics are grouped towards the centre of the windscreen.

The fourth dot is when the infographics are now spread across the width of the windscreen, and you now have augmented reality graphics as well. Your set navigation path is digitally outlined ahead of you (like in a video game), with other users and potential risks detected by ADAS being virtually highlighted for your attention. You can also get additional graphics on your windscreen, like those face filters on certain social media apps.

The final dot on the Mixed Reality Slider is where BMW aims to push the boundaries of our seen reality. In the concept, this setting can visually transform the world around you into something entirely different on your windscreen projection. Based on the video demonstration, it can warp the details of your reality to enhance your driving experience. Transform the sea of dull concrete buildings into a rich green skyline, all without risking your safety while driving.

What about the car itself?

The i Vision Dee suggests a welcome change to more compact car designs instead of just large SUVs, resembling some of BMW’s own icons from the past. While the current BMW electric sedan range starts with the i4 which is a fairly large and luxurious car, the Dee could lead to a compact electric sedan with sporty driving characteristics. Based on the graphics of the i Vision Dee, it could have a range of around 550km and perhaps be built on a new platform dedicated for EVs.

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BMW has affirmed that it will be releasing more details about the i Vision Dee over the course of 2023, so stay tuned for more interesting updates.