+ Click to Enlarge NIGHT VISION: The image is displayed as a contrasting black-and-white display on the central monitor in the instrument panel. Pictures: QUICKPIC

July 12, 2005

South African roads present their own unique challenges at night with cattle, goats and pedestrians - even the odd broken-down truck being repaired on lonely country roads.

The problem is worse at night and this, BMW says, is where night vision technology comes in.

BMW claims that its new 7 Series is the first production car to feature a far infra-red night vision system, used in conjunction with the new high-beam "assist" function to make night driving safer.

A thermal imaging camera covers a distance of up to 300m in front of the vehicle to create an image of objects out of range of the headlights.

The more brilliantly the object the on the central monitor is displayed, the greater the warmth registered by the camera.

Pedestrians and animals would thus be the brightest areas of the image because of their high infra-red heat signature; they're also the most important things to concentrate on when driving responsibly.

BMW engineers have opted for the innovative far infra-red (FIR) technology because studies show it is more effective than near infra-red (NIR) for detecting people, animals and objects at night.

The image section also follows the road (panning) and distant objects can be enlarged (zoom). The system is activated simply by a switch next to the light switch and is planned to be available on the 7 Series worldwide in the last quarter of 2005.

The thermal-imaging camera is installed behind impact-resistant glass and a fine grid in the left front bumper. A camera cleaner jet is activated along with the windscreen washer system and the glass cover is heated when the outside temperature is below 5ºC

The camera has a range of 300m and a resolution of 320x240 pixels, registering heat radiated from people and objects in a waveband of eight to 14µm. Below 80km/h, the camera's 36º allows the areas at the side of the road and surroundings (pedestrians, animals) to be identified.

The control unit receives data from the camera and converts it into an image on the central monitor that is electronically brightened or darkened according to outside conditions

Above 80km/h the monitor covers an angle of 24º, which moves up to six degrees left or right as the steering turns. A digital zoom can be activated at higher speeds to enlarge more distant objects by 50 percent.

The image is displayed as a contrasting black-and-white display on the central monitor on the instrument panel. BMW considered using a head-up display but tests showed that superimposing real and virtual images caused irritation.

High-beam 'assist'

With high-beam "assist", to be available by the end of 2005 in the BMW 5, 6 and 7 Series, a camera on the rear-view mirror casing registers activity on the road and automatically controls the high-beam switch.

The system identifies the headlights and rear lights of vehicles, as well as the ambient road lighting. High beam is automatically switched on in the absence of vehicles on the road ahead or oncoming traffic when the road is poorly lit.

The system will automatically dip the lights for:

Oncoming traffic (including motorcycles). Here the system recognises the high or low beam of vehicles.

Vehicles driving ahead - the red tail lights of vehicles are recognised.

Brighter street lighting.

Driving slowly when high beam doesn't provide any increase in safety.

BMW claims the system is designed to detect road users up to a kilometre away.

It doesn't need any extra switches; the driver activates it by rotating the light switch to "auto", which also enables the light sensor for automatic control of low beam.

Then the indicator stalk is pushed to the high beam position; a light on the instrumant panel indicates that the high-beam "assist" is activated.

BMW says its driver assistance systems have been designed to support the driver without taking away his responsibility by providing improved information on potential dangers or giving him an early warning.

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