In this video, Project Lead Stella Clarke and Head of BMW i Exterior Design Dirk Müller-Stolz talk through the design, development and production process of the world's first colour-changing car prototype, alongside the vast potential for E Ink in the use of cars.
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High-tech in cars: How a BMW 7 Series reads the body.
The study uses a BMW 750e xDrive plug-in hybrid in Carbon Black Metallic – its special Automotive Health foiling signalling clearly to the outside world that it is a high-tech, high-precision research vehicle equipped with cutting-edge sensors. Fittings include a steering wheel with an integrated ECG device, a microphone in the safety belt to capture heart sounds, and a camera for recording vital signs.
The BMW 7 Series measures a range of parameters including skin conductance and heart and breathing frequency. The sensors enable medically relevant data to be recorded under real driving conditions – in a standardised, continuous and reproducible way, and in part without physical contact.
The study involves 120 participants aged 50 and above, comprising both healthy individuals and those with an increased cardiovascular risk. Measurements are taken in real traffic, while stationary, and on the test track – automatically and without the drivers needing to take any active steps to contribute. This approach allows everyday situations to be analysed without influencing participants’ behaviour.
“We want to find out which technologies are most reliable for detecting health anomalies within the car,”
says Alexander Meyer, Professor of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine at Charité – Universitätsmedizin.
“That’s why we are verifying the validity and quality of the vital parameters we record in different driving situations,”
adds Dr Matthias Franz, BMW Research New Technologies and Automotive Health Project Lead.
High-tech with a heart: Technology that can save lives.
The research findings are expected to pave the way for intelligent early warning systems – through technologies that can detect health changes early and respond in time. The longer-term aim is to develop a chain of responses that not only automatically brakes the car in the event of an acute emergency, such as a sudden heart attack or signs of stroke, but also alerts the emergency services and shares relevant health data directly.
“Continuous, multimodal health data tracking offers a completely new foundation for developing personalised preventive health programmes,”
explains Professor Meyer. The BMW Group brings to the project its extensive expertise in sensors, vehicle technologies and data processing:
“Our goal is to enhance driving comfort and safety by adapting the vehicle setup to the driver’s current performance state,”
adds Dr Franz.
Intelligent vehicles for a healthier and safer society.
“Vehicles of the future will be about more than just transport,”
says Dr Franz.
“They will be smart systems that detect health risks early, take preventive action and provide professional support in emergencies.”Professor Meyer also sees the collaboration as a model for the future:
“Healthcare needs to happen where people live, work – and drive. This partnership with the BMW Group demonstrates how technological innovation and clinical research can work hand in hand to deliver new solutions to the challenges of demographic change.”
The first findings of the study are expected in 2026. In the longer term, the two partners intend to translate their insights into standard vehicle features and health-support programmes. This next step will be further evidence of how the BMW Group leverages state-of-the-art technologies not only for driving dynamics but also for wellbeing.
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- I actually had an idea for a car that changed its colours (entirely) after hearing something about dark grey/black cars being the most unsafe colours to drive in since they're the same colour as roads 👀 so more as a safety measure, but this is fun too 🖤 (my family's BMW is also black & so is the non-BMW car I drive, btw—not hating on black/grey cars ✌️✌️)- Crazy how technology went forward. Twenty years ago I thought I’m the king with my prelude. Now car will look like Tony stark in the iron man suit
- When i was younger, i had a friend at the patent office, research patents related to operator adjustable window tinting film, for automotive application. Unfortunately, the idea was already discovered, in the buildings and skyscraper industry. So, i got discouraged.
- This is awesome - you could finally customize your vehicle like in a game.
Like in Forza where you can scroll through the designs and take the one you want, or create you own.
Drive to a concert with band logo.
If you drive with a few cars, somewhere you can tell the others to wait here, because you‘re not sure if you can park there, or say no we go left here instead of the next street.
Possibilities are nearly endless…
You need extra money? You can drive with our logo.
I think BMW could really hit it with E-ink, if it comes for a reasonable price and still works with scratches…
Question is: How do you keep the Body work as good as new? Because maybe, the tech doesn’t like ceramic sealing
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