The BMW iX Reads Your Mind To Change Color CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News The BMW iX Reads Your Mind To Change Color
The BMW iX Reads Your Mind To Change Color
May. 22, 2022 2:45 PM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Technology / 5 Comments The future is now. Usually, one of the hallmarks of being "in the future" is the ability to control things with your mind. Star Wars, Bladerunner, and Minority Report all have it, and now so does BMW. At CES, the Bavarian brand unveiled the BMW iX Flow. This special version of the electric BMW iX uses E-Ink to change colors in real-time. For now, things are a bit limited, with black, grey, and white the only options. Moreover, it's not yet ready for mass release. This is purely a concept. Regardless, it's cool tech that BMW is making a whole hell of a lot cooler. Right now, BMW is testing a feature that will allow users to change the color of the iX Flow with their minds. Munich-based startup brainboost is responsible for the tech. The one-off event took place at an event to raise awareness for mental health. In short, the technology "projects" your brain waves onto the skin of the iX, with the changes illustrated by the iX's paint. BMW BMW Tom Kirkpatrick; BMW Group Tom Kirkpatrick; BMW Group It's not quite mind control, but it's pretty close. "The color patterns of the BMW iX Flow react to brain activity and reflect the level of activity," explains brainboost CEO Philipp Heiler. "Once the brain is at rest, the changes of patterns on the iX Flow also become calmer and more rhythmical." If users could maintain this state of calmer brain activity, a unique animation would flash across the car's surface. As a result, subjects were able to slowly but surely calm and relax their brains. Progress was measured by an electroencephalograph (EEG), which record's the brain's electrical activity. brainboost says the idea behind the exercise was to identify which strategies worked best to help the participants relax, with the hope they carry that information forward into their personal lives. BMW BMW BMW Tom Kirkpatrick; BMW Group So, this was really more of a thought study (pun very much intended), but the technology is cool nonetheless. It's certainly a long way off, but perhaps one day we'll be able to change our car's color with a simple thought. While the idea of cars that work like mood rings is cool, we might prefer a simple button. BMW continues work on the E-Ink technology, and we're hoping to see it in production cars over the coming years. Tom Kirkpatrick; BMW Group Tom Kirkpatrick; BMW Group Tom Kirkpatrick; BMW Group Tom Kirkpatrick; BMW Group Join The Discussion
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BMW iX Chase Bierenkoven Associate Editor Shortly before applying to law school, Chase decided to take a chance on pursuing his dream job: playing with cars and getting paid for it. Law school was just a means to an end, after all. His first writing job was freelance and barely paid his grocery bill. It quickly turned into a full-time position, eventually leading Chase to join CarBuzz in 2022. Chase now tests cars, and sits comfortably at the news desk when he's not in the driver's seat. In his spare time, Chase can be heard trying to play guitar, or out enjoying Colorado's natural splendor in his BMW M3. Contact Chase @bierenkoven @cbier823 LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top