BMW Vision NEXT 100 was designed from the inside out

Automakers like BMW are used to following the same process in building cars for many years. The exterior is designed first before the interior. They trust this process and it works, as proven by the great cars that they have been producing over time. However, with the recent rise to popularity of electric and autonomous cars, BMW also needs to adapt and prepare for the future. The design and conceptualization needs to start from inside out.

It is necessary for the processes to change because autonomous cars provide a very different experience than the regular car. The inside is where most of the action happens. It is the experience of the interior that customers will care more about in the future, and not the mere exterior looks of the car.

So for the BMW Vision NEXT 100 concept car, BMW has already changed its design approach. By doing this, they will build an amazing experience for the future car owners. Most of the current things seen in cars would not matter anymore because they will be automated. What matters is how the car communicates to the driver in this new set up.

BMW is working on a system called Active Geometry which will function as the dashboard surface with more than 800 individual triangles that changes in shape to communicate to the driver. According to BMW’s head of user experience, Holger Hampf, “In a car, it can be dangerous to distract the driver for too long, so we look at products for inspiration, where the precise communication of information is important for safety,”.

BMW is also thinking of how to keep passengers engaged while the car is driving on its own. “Car companies, BMW included, are thinking much more about what people do in a car and how they use it,” said Hampf. “I think this comes very much from the question of how to ensure individual mobility remains relevant, most of all for cars that are still owned.”

The windshield will also be converted into a HUD that shows information to the passengers in a non distracting way.

Source: Auto News