Here's a (bad) translation of a press release today from BMW Germany. No news about when this may come to the States.

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BMW Night vision starting from March in the 5er and 6er available. BMW offers innovative Fahrerassistenzsystem as only manufacturers in altogether 5 model rows.

19.01.2006 Munich. In the autumn 2005 into the 7er row introduced innovative Fahrerassistenzsystem BMW Night vision is available starting from March 2006 also for the model rows 5er sedan, 5er Touring, 6er Coup? and 6er the Cabrio.
Thus BMW offers this technology for more security during night travels not only in the upper class, but puts it than only manufacturer with altogether five model rows to a broader customer basis at the disposal. Infrared technology with thermal image camera for more security with darkness.
Discharge of the driver and active partner protection. BMW Night vision provides for a new dimension of the optical perception during night travels. A thermal image camera seizes persons, animals and objects in the apron of the vehicle, before it can recognize the human eye in the light of the headlights. The picture produced thereby will transfer more warmth to the central control display and represents the recognized objects the more brightly, the by the camera is registered. Humans and animals are particularly remarkably explained therefore. The thermal image camera seizes a range from up to 300 meters before the vehicle. BMW Night vision offers a special use to the customer on distances over country, in close lanes, yard entries and dark underground parkings and increases noticeably security during night travels.
With BMW Night vision and the high beam assistant introduced to the autumn 2005 into the 5er, 6er and 7er row, which automatically switch on and off the high beam after activation over the lenkstockhebel, makes a further contribution to BMW for the increase of the road safety with the help of technical innovations. Beyond that both systems are able, the driver during travels in the darkness, which require particularly high concentration to relieve. BMWS Night vision and the high beam assistant provide therefore also for a clear increase at comfort. BMW decides for remote infrared technology (FIR).
Owing to thermal image camera better recognition of persons and animals. BMWS of engineers decided due to own comparative studies and independent scientific investigations for the innovative remote infrared technology (FIR), there them the goal, humans, of recognizing animals and objects at night become best fair. FIR offers the following advantages: - reduction on the substantial: The remote infrared technology works with a thermal image camera. Thus in particular persons, animals and objects, who radiate warmth, particularly are emphasized. FIR does not supply a detailed image of the respective traffic conditions, which would retard the recognition of a person within this overall view. Insignificant details are faded out thus and do not divert the driver not. - with FIR "one continues to see": The range of FIR systems lies with approx.. 300 m about twice as highly as with other systems. The driver can be warned thereby in former times over possible dangers - at a speed of 100 km/h up to 5 seconds. - FIR "cannot be dazzled": FIR is insensitive to glare by headlights of the oncoming traffic, traffic light light, road lighting and strongly reflecting surfaces such as traffic signs. Vehicles with FIR technology dazzle themselves in addition not mutually.
Apart from principle-conditioned advantages of FIR BMW extended the technology with own functionalities. Thus the screen window the road process is adjusted ("Panning") and removed objects to be able depending upon speed to be increased represented ("zoom shot"). Use of BMW Night vision similar to interior rear view mirror. BMW Night vision supplies the night vision picture to the driver with as high-contrast black-and-white representation on the central control display in the armature carrier. Owing to the assigned FIR technology BMW Night vision requires only a short view of the display, in order to be able to recognize a danger.
The use of BMW Night vision one can imagine similar to the use of the interior rear view mirror. An announcement in the primary field of view, e.g. in the Head UP display or in the instrument combination, was considered with BMW, but rejected from ergonomic criteria. Attempts showed that the overlay of the material and the virtual picture information is optimal irritations caused and thus not. BMW
Night vision costs uniformly 1,950 EUR in Germany for the models of the 5er, 6er and 7er row.

 

yes this and soft-close doors where meant to be available on models starting from march 2006 but BMW is running slightly late

 

Better late than never...

 

Hi,

in the german TV (AMS TV) was a comparison between BMW Night Vision, the new S-Class system and a VDO-Siemens Prototype (BMW).

BMW systems are based on Infrared - so depend on temperature. Advantage:
- You may see pedestrians early.
Disadvantage:
- You don't recognize other barriers on the road!
- The look is not nice (it's like a real bad TV picture in motion, much worse as the picture above! outside cities)

S-Class system is a real night view:
Advantage:
- You see barriers on the road early
- Good night view (you recognize the road)
Disadvantage:
- Pedestrians are recognized (highlighted as on a heating camera)

The test was performed with pedestrians and a euro-pallet on the road.

The VDO-Siemens prototype in a 5series BMW did put the picture into the headup display. Ok. The IR View is not nice to follow, BUT a helping software did recognize pedestrians and mark them orange in the HUD. THIS was pointed out as the future.

For me it left the impression: Nice, but maybe spend you money on something else....

regs
Volkmar

 

The BMW system has more range too.

IMHO, this is a gimmick that will be neat to show friends, but not something that will be that usefull. It will be fun for a month or so, but be of little use thereafter.

 

...i doubt it will ever make it to the US shores anyway, too many legal issues would be brought up...if you see how its used, you need to look at the iDrive screen or in MB version, the dash board...cant see how you would be able to drive and look at the screen at the same time for this to be useful... :thumbsdown:

 

Just FYI, the Caddy already had this technology years ago. So I don't know what you mean by legal issues in the states.

 

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completely different types of systems, on the BMW system, you need to view iDrive to use it, so knowing our legal system, i cant see them offering a system thats use requires you to not look out of the windshield, but rather use iDrive screen to be guided while driving

 

Its already on our 6 Series pricelists for March

 

I thought I also cought a glimps of it on the March Production E60 price list.