The next-gen BMW 7 Series will get loads of new tech that aim both at making the car more eco-friendly but also easier to use. One of the aims of the engineers and designers was to make using its infotainment system less distracting. In this regard, the G11 7er will feature a first for the segment: gesture recognition.
What that does is use a 3D sensor mounted on the roof lining, near the rearview mirror that recognizes the hand gestures of the driver. His/her hand has to be somewhere between the steering wheel, gearshift knob, the iDrive screen and armrest in order for this to work.
Using your hand with pre-defined gestures within this space will allow you to perform various functions, such as answer and deny a phone call, adjust the volume for the entertainment system and so on. As you can see in the video below, it seems fairly easy to understand and use.
Our sources tell us that you’ll also be able to configure your own commands using gestures later on, and that’s more than welcome. As good as it all sounds and looks like, we can’t help but wonder if it’s really going to work.
Sure, using your fingers to make all sorts of gestures is less distracting than actually leaning forward and pressing a button/screen. But you know what is even less distracting? Speaking. That’s right, we feel like that’s the best solution to be used.
That’s also something BMW had in mind and, according to their preview, the new flagship will have better voice recognition software and an overall improved voice command feature. Of course, along with it, we’ll be seeing the new iDrive system that features touch-sensitive screens.
Don’t worry though, you’ll still get the buttons and controller you’re used to so you won’t have to use the new means of interaction necessarily. Until we actually get to see any of this first-hand, let’s check out how the gesture recognition feature works.
Google News