Wednesday 19th November 2008

Speed Limit Display for New 7 Series

Speed limit warning system is a world first for new BMW 7 Series

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Head-up display with Speed Limit Display

BMW has created a revolutionary Speed Limit Display system for its new 7 Series range. The carmaker will fit the technology - which it is claiming is a world first – as standard with the optional Lane Departure Warning system.

Using a camera mounted behind the rear view mirror, the device cross-references the GPS system and the real-world information to constantly monitor the legal speed limit. The limit is then relayed tto the driver in the dashboard or, if specified, into the head-up display.

The car’s hard drive has been pre-programmed with all of Europe’s speed limits but in case of road works or incidents it has another trick up its sleeve. It can also read temporary road signs and over-ride the stored information.

The new ‘7’ will also feature Night Vision that includes Pedestrian Recognition for the first time. Scanning the road up to 300 metres ahead, much further than even the most powerful xenon headlamps, Night Vision highlights the shape and proximity of any heat sources that are close to the predicted path of the car.

With Individual Pedestrian Recognition, the system uses video data and complex algorithms to predict if any pedestrians are behaving abnormally and are likely to move into the path of the car.  The driver is alerted by warning symbols in the control display or the Head-up Display if specified. The new 7 Series went on sale in the UK on Saturday.

[poindexter]

Next generation model will probably give you an electric shock if you go over the limit.

[H22K]

clearly there are going to be plenty of "i've got eyes" type comments, but even so..."pedestrian recognition" etc....technology is cool.

plus it means the 7-series now sounds like the seven series can add AWACS to the A8, RR and SL as its list of competitors.

I assume Merc will go one better, and the new one will be a road-going apache gunship.

[MrTappets]

If the military were to get hold of such technology it would plunge the world into anarchy!

[dublet]

Pretty cool stuff. I wonder how long it'll be before you can just read a newspaper and have your morning tea or coffee while "driving", and computers will keep you in your lane and avoid all accidents.

[H22K]

I'd wager it's possible already.

Set sat nav to destination, switch on lane assist, active cruise control and auto brakes..




...and get stuck at some random dead end in the middle of mansfield, trying to turn off the "you have arrived at your destination".

I wager the accuracy of sat nav mapping is the limiting factor.

I think the question is more - how long until people trust computers enough to let them do it?

Might make F1 more exciting, though...

[Ricky944s2]

dublet said:

Pretty cool stuff. I wonder how long it'll be before you can just read a newspaper and have your morning tea or coffee while "driving", and computers will keep you in your lane and avoid all accidents.

The futures here!!! . . . . Its called a Train!!! Its bloody expensive tho!!!

[timewatch]

Good one this !

I can see it now,

eg; Police stop car, plug in to car's hard drive and see all the places where you have been and how may times you have
went over the limit or some other traffic offence, yeh real big brother stuff this.

Who needs a government box when the car manufacturers are doing it for them ?

Plus how F'N annoying would the warning system be ?

ie;Bong-bong bog= Der Cat on road, Bong bog bon=Der pedestrian ahead, Bong bong,bong,bong= 30mph ahead, Bong,bong,bong,bong,bong,20mph ahead,
Bong bong bong= your now in a 20 mph limit.

FFS - so on and so forth !!!!!!

TW>>>

[btdk5]

How completely pointless! I thought it was going to be a heads up display that detected speed cameras.

You only have to wait 30 secs whilst driving to see the next speed limit sign on the side of the road anyway.

Pedestrian detection is pretty cool though.

[lionrampant]

Oh great, more idiot lights...

[danielj57]

"Reduce speed, pedestrians in road way"

Will there be an optional drive by remote control mobile phone too, or prehaps some kind of new thatcham category 0 impenetrable alarm?

Actually, I want what he's got > http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6En-7BTmOYc

[tobyboy]

All very impressive technology but it is still a pity that the vast majority of BMW's still appear not to have a basic direction indicator fitted.

[dublet]

Ricky944s2 said:

dublet said:

Pretty cool stuff. I wonder how long it'll be before you can just read a newspaper and have your morning tea or coffee while "driving", and computers will keep you in your lane and avoid all accidents.

The futures here!!! . . . . Its called a Train!!! Its bloody expensive tho!!!

That's funny, I don't recall having a train station on my driveway, or one in work's parking lot.

[willcrookz]

cool! (it doesnt make you stick to them does it? :P)

[Bungleaio]

timewatch said:

Good one this !

I can see it now,

eg; Police stop car, plug in to car's hard drive and see all the places where you have been and how may times you have
went over the limit or some other traffic offence, yeh real big brother stuff this.

Who needs a government box when the car manufacturers are doing it for them ?

This is how it will be.

[griffter]

Here's the flaw:

"the device cross-references the GPS system and the real-world information to constantly monitor the legal speed limit"

Speed limits often bear little resemblance to the real world.

[timewatch]

willcrookz said:

cool! (it doesnt make you stick to them does it? :P)

Quote' "The car’s hard drive"

this say's it all, read my other post and be presumptuous !

TW>>>

[LeBrun]

I seem to recall Clarkson saying on Top Gear that this technology is all good and well except the car slams on the anchors if a car were to pull in front of you to make sure you're a certain distance away, even if the car in front is going faster. Can imagine being stuck behind one of these brake lights coming on all the time up the motorway...

[jaik]

btdk5 said:

How completely pointless! I thought it was going to be a heads up display that detected speed cameras.

You only have to wait 30 secs whilst driving to see the next speed limit sign on the side of the road anyway.

Pedestrian detection is pretty cool though.

If it can reasonably accurately read speed limit signs and see pedestrians 300m down the road, getting it to spot big yellow boxes with GPS assistance is trivial. Come on BMW!

[gumsie]

I gotta say. Big deal.

[eddie1980]

Which is great cept if your the car behind and its not fitted.