I tried to crash a BMW, but it parked itself instead

[LiberalArkie]

http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/5/7494989/bmw-i3-self-parking-anti-collision-ces-2015

High above the Las Vegas Strip, BMW's CES setup looks innocent enough: a pair of small i3s and a smattering of various other BMW models parked off in the distance of a parking garage rooftop. In reality, the company was about to freak me out.

First, I got a glimpse of a collision avoidance system using an array of fairly well-concealed external sensors on one of the i3s. BMW set up a bunch of big, soft blocks dressed to look like walls and other hazards — it was a little Super Mario-esque, come to think of it — and told me to punch the gas in their direction. That's a tough command to process, and it took me a second to work up the courage. Tentatively, I approached the first couple of blocks in the car; I got so close that I was sure I'd touch them, but at the last moment, I heard a soft "beep" and felt a moderate application of the brakes that stopped me with probably no more than an inch to spare (BMW is quick to note that the sensors they're using are next-gen and very accurate — these aren't the ultrasonic parking sensors you see on today's bumpers).

The system works in reverse, too, and on the sides — I tried turning too sharply at a corner in such a way that a normal car would've taken a huge, expensive gash across the doors. This i3, though, with its enhanced instincts of self-preservation, slowed to a halt before it could take any damage. The system is designed to still permit you to park in a tight spot without getting in the way; I tried parallel parking with no issue.

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[jberryhill]

1. How to carjack a BMW with a foam rubber boulder...

[Jesus Malverde]

2. People keep saying that we're not going to see a loss of driving jobs.

It's becoming reality.