In a very interesting patent filed with the European Patent Office, BMW proposes a system that aims to solve a problem for people living in snowy areas – that of trying to find a safe path to or from your car in thick fallen snow or during a snowfall. Using sensors and map data, a BMW with self-driving and self-parking capabilities will be able to position the car optimally so you have an easier path to follow to or from it.
A Typical Winter Problem
People living in areas that experience heavy winter snowfalls will be familiar with the scenario: A white winter wonderland it may be, but the white-out effect is real and it can be notoriously difficult to recognize driveways, roads, curbs, and footpaths in conditions that cover all of these in a thick layer of snow. Everything becomes featureless in such a flat-shaded, monochromatic environment. So, where do you park? How do you get out of your car? And where is a safe path to follow as you leave your vehicle, and as you later get back to it?
Let Your Car Plot The Path – And Get You There
BMW uses the vehicle’s environmental sensors and leverages always-online cars’ situational awareness and navigation capabilities to plot your immediate environment. It models a 3D map the way it looks in good weather, and compares it to the current environment to determine where the blanket of snow is likely the thinnest, and which path you should follow to avoid walking through deep snow. The car can then use its self-driving feature to position itself optimally for you to disembark, and again to allow you to board again later.
Multiple Advantages
Such a system has many benefits:
- Enhances driver and passenger convenience during the winter
- Improves safety in thick snow or during snowfalls
- Eases embarking and disembarking for the elderly in challenging weather
- Helps determine where there are open parking spaces
- Invaluable to those with mobility limitations
BMW says this type of technology can be expanded to include more features that use the vehicle’s sensor data and automated driving functions to improve convenience and safety for drivers and passengers.
