If you have ever thought about driving the ultimate smart and intelligent car, you need to experience the iDrive. iDrive is the dream came true technology from BMW which is a computer-based system to make driving an easier and comfortable thing, along with making it safer.
The system is a complex automation of four primary interactions a driver does with the car or the accessories. It involves the communication, the comfort, driving-assistance and entertainment.
Though most of the vehicles still have different independent peripherals to interact, iDrive brings them all together, in the same panel.
The system was first demonstrated in 1999 and came into production in 2001. The BMW models from E60 5 Series and E63 6 series vehicles boast of this state-of-the-art technology.
The system has a main panel of control and output display.
A display monitor is placed at a suitable position so that the driver can have a look without removing his line of vision from the road ahead. The monitor is so smartly positioned that it will prevent any distraction of the driving concentration.
The large display shows all sort of information a driver needs, starting from the basic speedometer and tachometer.
The important and safety related information and the control is at the nearest part of the system, so that the driver can access them quickly. Other information like onboard entertainment control, temperature control is located on the next portion.
Most of the information can be accessed through knobs and buttons and be displayed. The second level menu and sub-menu items can be pulled down and accessed after selection.
The new technology of wireless communication is used as the interface between the modules. The current technology in use is the UTMS, which is a mobile communication protocol called the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System that allows a smooth and quick communication at a data communication rate of 2 Megabits per second.