Cars With Feelings

The latest in automotive technology that's rolling out, even cars with facial expressions and that you can talk to.

- Nafisa Akabor 

Imagine a car that can speak to you, express moods and emotions, change its color, display your avatar on the window and automatically open the door when you approach?

We are not talking about a science fiction movie; this is what we experienced first-hand at the CES 2023 tech event and consumer technology show in Las Vegas in the first week of the new year.

This is how it is inside BMW's new retro futuristic i Vision Dee concept electric car that was unveiled at CES, where CEO Oliver Zipse explained: "It is our vision of pushing the boundaries between physical and digital perception."

"Dee embodies the next level of human machine interaction, a concept that cannot be simply dismissed as science fiction because it will inspire our neue klasse," said Zipse, referring to BMW's new cla of vehicles coming in 2025.

Despite its retro look, the EV highlighted the technology inside the car. Its name Dee refers to a 'digital emotional experience'.

It seeks to be your companion by talking to you in natural language; expressing moods like joy, approval, or astonishment; and displaying nine facial expressions through the closed-off kidney grille.

Other cutting-edge tech experienced was as an advanced I head-up display that takes over the entire windshield; a mixed reality slider that goes through a range of analogue and digital experiences; and an on-demand color changing E Ink exterior that supports 32 colors.

Once inside, it feels like you have entered another dimension. Experiencing the metaverse shuts you out from reality – the windows dim to transform into a magical world taking up most of the front of the vehicle. It will be interesting to see how BMW translates it into real world usage.