According to The Verge, BMW recently debuted its newest technological advancement at the Las Vegas 2022 Consumer Electronics Show. Everyone scurried for a better view as the German automaker utilized the new 2022 iX M60 electric SUV to display its unique color-changing technology.
Don’t get too excited, though; it’s just personalisation taken to a whole new level. BMW isn’t prepared to release a vehicle that can change color with the push of a button from red to blue to orange. Right now, just white, black, and gray are available. The good news is that you don’t have to stick with a single color, and according to BMW, this new paint even allows you to make moving patterns. There may not be as many options as they would want, but there are still many options available.
It’s still a really cool idea, though. The driver simply needs to click a button to alter the hue. But how did BMW manage to do it?
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Use an app to change the color of your car: BMW introduces a color-changing vehicle.
The outside of the concept automobile, known as the BMW iX Flow, can be changed into a variety of gray and white designs using electronic ink technology typically used in e-readers.
Stella Clarke, a BMW research engineer, noted that the use of E Ink technology made the color shift extremely energy-efficient. We took this substance, which is somewhat thick paper, and our task was to apply it to a 3D item like one of our cars.
The substance attracts various pigments to the surface when stimulated by electrical signals controlled by a phone app, giving the car a new color or pattern, like racing stripes.
In the future, Clarke predicted, the adjustments might potentially be managed by a button on the dashboard or even by hand gestures.
According to BMW, no energy is required to retain the driver’s chosen color.
The use of color to affect sunlight reflections is my favorite use case, according to Clarke. “You may change the color to white today to reflect the sun’s rays on a hot, sunny day. You may paint it black to absorb heat on a chilly day.”
Although the car on show at CES could only switch between gray and white, BMW claims that the technology will eventually be expanded to include a spectrum of colors.
The new BMW iX Flow concept car has color-changing features.
- This week, the German manufacturer showcased a brand-new concept car with color-changing “E Ink” called the iX Flow at the CES technology convention.
- Additionally, it demonstrated a brand-new 31-inch “BMW Theatre Screen” with Amazon Fire TV that is anticipated to be included in upcoming production cars.
- A specially designed body wrap that is molded to the curves of the all-electric car and resembles the material found in an Amazon Kindle E-Reader enables the fluid color changes.
Visitors examine the BMW iX Flow prototype at the BMW stand during the CES technology show on January 5, 2022, in Las Vegas. The iX Flow is a system that uses E Ink technology to replace conventional automotive paint, enabling the vehicle to alter color and appearance.
BMW doesn’t want potential customers to be concerned about the color of their next vehicle or the movies showing at the theater.
This week, the German manufacturer showcased a brand-new concept car with color-changing “E Ink” called the iX Flow at the CES technology convention. Additionally, it demonstrated a brand-new 31-inch “BMW Theatre Screen” with Amazon Fire TV that is anticipated to be included in upcoming production cars.
A specially designed body wrap that is molded to the curves of the all-electric car and resembles the material found in an Amazon Kindle E-Reader enables the fluid color changes. According to BMW, the electrophoretic technology causes the body skin to acquire the required coloring by bringing various color pigments to the surface when activated by electrical signals.
The color change is “sort of weird,” according to Stella Clarke, project lead for BMW iX Flow with E Ink, but it may also provide “some good use cases.” She claimed it allows for more self-expression, can show information like the status of a charge, and can blink if you couldn’t find it in a packed parking lot.
She remarked at a media event, “We see a lot of rational use cases behind it.
The real car is a new iX electric SUV from BMW, but the color-changing technology won’t be available in showrooms for a while. Although color-changing technology isn’t currently planned to enter production, Clarke said there may be “a road for” that in the future.
Concept cars are frequently used by automakers to test consumer interest, demonstrate potential technology, or illustrate where a vehicle or brand might go in the future.
Officials stated that although the BMW iX Flow with E Ink can only change colors on a spectrum of white, grey, and black, the technology theoretically might give more hues.
The “BMW Theatre Screen” is a 32:9-format, 31-inch panorama display with smart TV features and an 8K resolution.
According to BMW executives, “BMW Theatre Screen” production is much closer. It has a 31-inch panorama display with a 32:9 aspect ratio, smart TV features, and an 8K resolution. In order to display in the back row, the screen lowers from the vehicle’s headliner.
“We create engrossing digital experiences for pure driving enjoyment. When in Theatre Mode, the interior’s back becomes a personal movie theater, “In a statement, Frank Weber, a member of the management board of BMW AG. “A new level for in-car entertainment is developed with the 31-inch display, 5G connectivity, 8K resolution, surround sound, and individual streaming program.”
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Since its introduction in 1997, E-Ink technology has demonstrated its value in a variety of contexts, including laptop screens, digital whiteboards, and even personal accessories. At CES 2022, BMW showcased an e-ink vehicle exterior that can change colors based on the weather and traffic conditions, or just the driver’s attitude. This technology has finally reached the automobile sector.
In response to your initial query, no, despite being displayed at the exhibition on a live demonstration vehicle known as the BMW iX Flow with E Ink, this future technology is not yet ready for mass production.
The electrophoretic coloring substance is used as a vehicle body wrap and functions similarly to how e-ink displays do in Kindles. Millions of microcapsules, each holding a negatively charged white pigment and a positively charged black pigment, are inserted throughout the wrap. Applying an electrical charge to the substance will, depending on the environment, induce either the white or the black pigments to rise to the top of the microcapsule, changing the color of the vehicle in a matter of seconds.
The palette could potentially be enlarged to show the whole spectrum of colors, even if the current version can only switch between a pair of hues. In a prepared statement, Stella Clarke, Head of Project for the BMW iX Flow incorporating E Ink, said, “This provides the driver the freedom to communicate different elements of their personality or even their appreciation of change outwardly, and to redefine this each time they sit into their car.” The vehicle then turns into an expression of many moods and situations in daily life, similar to fashion or the status updates on social media channels.
E-ink external displays may also be beneficial for more practical purposes, including changing colors in response to the temperature to extend a car’s battery life (and hence its range) in cold climates or lessen the need for air conditioning in hot climates.
many paint capsules in a unique wrap
The technique behind electrophoretic coloring was created by E Ink and is well recognized for being utilized in ebook reader displays. A human hair’s thickness in terms of diameter and number of microcapsules per square inch make up the surface coating of the BMW iX Flow with E Ink. These microcapsules each contain negatively and positively charged black and white pigments.
The desired shade of the car body is produced by either the white or the black pigments accumulating at the surface of the microcapsule in response to electrical field stimulation, depending on the setting selected.
The application of several precisely fitting epaper segments is necessary to produce this effect on a vehicle body. To guarantee that the segments accurately reflect the distinctive features of the car and the associated fluctuations in light and shadow, generative design techniques are used. The formability and flexibility required to precisely match the epaper to the design lines of the vehicle are made possible by the generative design techniques.
High precision in the generation of each segment is ensured using laser cutting technology. To ensure optimal and consistent color reproduction during each color change, the entire body is warmed and sealed once the segments are placed and the power supply for activating the electrical field is connected.
BMW Unveils a Vehicle with Digital Color Changes
BMW, a German automaker, has unveiled a new model that lets users customize the color of their car.
The BMW iX Flow concept automobile was recently displayed at the CES technology expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. A concept car is a vehicle that has been built for testing but is still in development.
The company claims that electronic ink technology allows for the outside colors and patterns of the car to be changed. Electronic reading devices use the same technology, which BMW refers to as Electronic Paper Display.
The iX Flow model was demonstrated at CES and could switch from white to gray. Every panel of the car has a changeable surface. This opens up a variety of options for various color and pattern combinations all over the car. One option in the demonstration produced racing stripes.
According to BMW, the substance that makes the technology possible contains variously charged white, black, or colored particles. When an electrical field is active, many colors emerge. Controls inside the car or a phone can send signals to initiate the adjustments.
According to BMW research engineer Stella Clarke, “we took this material—kind it’s of a thick paper—and our difficulty was to get this onto a 3D object like our automobiles.”
The use of color to affect sunlight reflections is my favorite use case, according to Clarke. You may change the hue to white to reflect sunlight on a hot, sunny day like today, she said. “You could change it to black to absorb the heat on a cold day.”
The color options for the vehicle displayed at CES were limited to gray and white. However, the company claims that the technology will be enhanced to offer a variety of colors.
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Does the color of a BMW change?
The BMW Flow electric SUV concept can switch colors instantly, changing from white to gray or black and back again, just by pressing a button. The result is stunning, despite the fact that it is limited to shades of gray and even then lacks the delicacy and depth of actual automotive paint.
How can I obtain colors from BMW Individual?
Your new BMW can be ordered through its Individual program in a wide range of stylish hues. Does the BMW M5 Competition’s normal seven-color palette not satisfy you? Make a call to Individual and choose one of the 90 hues it provides. Visit the “visualizer” page on the BMW Individual website to see all the colors. It has become your new go-to pass the time.
The visualizer is similar to BMW’s standard vehicle configurator, but with far more options. There are some excellent choices, such as the new M850i coupe, even though not every vehicle that BMW makes is offered here. View the Imola Red 8er down below. This was a widely-liked color for the E46 M3, and it suits the large coupe beautifully.
You might like an M4 Competition Package in Daytona Violet. This shade debuted on the E34 M5 and is offered for the E36 M3.
Last but not least, I wish BMW still offered a 5-Series wagon in the US after seeing this 540i Touring in British Racing Green.
I could spend the entire day thinking up new color combinations, as you can undoubtedly see, and if you’re not careful, so could you. When you have some free time, visit the BMW Individual visualizer.