New BMWs Drive Themselves. Kind of.

[JoshCalkins]

A little while back, the German government launched a Munich-based research program called SmartSenior (apparently BMW's penchant for having two-word program names with no space between them, like EfficientDynamics, is a countrywide phenomenon). The goal of the program is fairly simple: see how new technologies can "make old age easier and safer." One of the tenets of this program is to develop "location-independent emergency recognition and assistance systems." That's where BMW comes in with their new Emergency Stop Assistant.

Here's how it works: BMW models equipped with this technology will have instruments that monitor the vital signs of the driver. Should those vital signs sow bad things and there is no response from the driver, the car will engage the hazard lights, engage the brake, and then steer the car to the side of the road, using onboard radar to avoid other vehicles. Also, the car will send out a call to local emergency services (this part is already a feature on BMW's ConnectedDrive system).

While this seems like good technology that mitigates the chances of someone becoming incapacitated behind the wheel and causing a serious accident, one wonders at the true reprecussions. In their official press release, BMW notes that "older people with intermittent cardiovascular problems frequently no longer trust their abilities at the wheel." This is true, and with good cause. If a person has such a medical problem, why not call a friend or a taxi for a ride? Especially when the German goverment is bankrolling the SmartSenior system for the equivalent of 34.75 million USD. That could pay for a lot of cab rides.

[Cathy]

Very Interesting read

[Shocka]

This is crap, wheres bmw headed?

[ScottHalliday]

Originally Posted by Shocka This is crap, wheres bmw headed?

Probably some good ole government funded program dollars. Why else would they be wasting their time and resources on something like this. If you need to have your the vital signs monitored while driving on the road then you shouldn't be behind the wheel to start with! Get a ride, cab or walk or stay the hell home.

[adrian_325]

Come on, "New BMWs Drive Themselves." A friggin monitor. Give me a break! I need an M3, not a monitor or the extra cost it would add to the selling price of the car. Govt funded or not, what the hell is BMW doing wasting money on this crap!