Wednesday 8th January 2014

BMW launches latest ActiveAssist tech

UPDATE: Now with video, watch an M235i powerslide itself. Weird

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Just a day after a man from Whitby was banned for driving with both hands off the wheel, BMW commences a global unveiling of its new autonomous tech... using a man with both hands off the wheel. More than that, he’s oversteering with no hands.

Works in a 6 Series as well

Under the 'ActiveAssist' banner, BMW aims to improve the safety of personal transport and 'make a significant contribution to bringing the vision of accident-free mobility closer'. Obviously, the clearest way to indicate this is to show a man in a sideways car making the globally recognised 'look, no hands!' gesture.

In all seriousness though, ActiveAssist does seem another step towards autonomous cars. It uses sensors to detect changing grip levels and so can follow a set course regardless of the surface conditions, so say BMW. The no hands skid is the result of the new function adding 'active and precisely calculated steering inputs' on top of the brake and throttle applications when required. As can be seen in the video as well, this is proper oversteer; no small wiggles here, the 2 Series is fully sideways.

Looks like the present, drives like the future?

Therefore understeer is dialled out by winding off steering lock and slowing down. Oversteer is countered through 'using a carefully gauged combination of countersteering and brake inputs'. This is permissible thanks to electric steering; and you thought a lack of feel was the big problem...

Combined with 360-degree camera and radar, ActiveAssist is capable of entirely independent driving right up to and beyond the limit of grip and in any conditions. Indeed, a prototype using this tech has already covered over 9,000 miles in testing.

BMW says the next step for ActiveAssist will be a fleet trial for highly automated driving in 2015, a similar test to those carried out with the Mini E and BMW ActiveE a few years ago. The direct result of those was the recently launched i3; are we that far away from an autonomous BMW?

Watch the video here

 

[Source: BBC News]

[Kawasicki]

No thanks

[NDNDNDND]

Sigh......

[vescaegg]

This tech is pretty incredible really but the idea is pretty silly no? How often do people find themselves in an oversteer situation that they dont want to be in? Cant be that often surely? Is it even possible with modern stability control systems?

So you bury your foot and the car will 'drift' itself if it has to? How does it 'end'? Can it overrule your pedal input?

That was quite a lot of questions

Edited by vescaegg on Tuesday 7th January 13:33

[Dave Hedgehog]

now we can all be ken block

[E65Ross]

this is really very good, but only if it can be turned off for those who want it off.

[richs2891]

mm interesting concept

[Dr Interceptor]

They aren't his hands on the window. They're his secretaries, she's lying across his lap

[JohnT993]

impressive technology... could result in either zero fun for the driver (driverless), or a lot more fun if it can be used to make over steer safe and easy for to normal ham fisted driver!

[aka_kerrly]

Getting closer to a day when people think they can drive to the pub and let the car ensure they make it home after?

[SturdyHSV]

JohnT993 said:

impressive technology... could result in either zero fun for the driver (driverless), or a lot more fun if it can be used to make over steer safe and easy for to normal ham fisted driver!

I think the reward of mastering something challenging is where the fun is? I don't know how much fun a 'Drift' button on the wheel would be, although I'd happily volunteer to try it out

[billzeebub]

another reason not to buy a new car

[renorti]

may be useful for those Russian type "crash" videos we see on you tube, but would need to be retro fitted to all those Lada's that seem to crash out there.

[DaveL485]

I do love driving, but if this means I can kick back for the work/motorway/every day haul on occasion then good stuff!

[EricE]

billzeebub said:

another reason not to buy a new car

agreed... until they make self driving "classic cars" illegal at some point in the future.

Here is a video of this self-drifting M235i.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krJmTZ-TcMc

[Kawasicki]

(Dis)Connected Drive?

[Dagz]

Well,i feel sorry for all the taxi drivers, lorry drivers, bus drivers, delivery drivers who will be made redundant and have to join the dole queue through this technology!!!


Sad times!!

[FWDRacer]

Kawasicki said:

(Dis)Connected Drive?

No tar.

[Ali_T]

BMW: The Ultimate Nanny Machine?

[rijmij99]

Dagz said:

Well,i feel sorry for all the taxi drivers, lorry drivers, bus drivers, delivery drivers who will be made redundant and have to join the dole queue through this technology!!!


Sad times!!

We have lots of automated technology that still needs qualified human oversight so I wouldn't worry just yet.

Now when we automate everything and have no need for humans at all, that's when you worry

[mrclav]

Dr Interceptor said:

They aren't his hands on the window. They're his secretaries, she's lying across his lap

Go on, have another one.