As its peculiar name suggests, BMW Shy Tech refers to an array of technology features that are not overtly noticeable to the eye. These subtle innovations hide smartly within and throughout the all-new, all-electric BMW iX midsize SUV, providing intuitive user interfaces that are found only by touch.
Shy Tech made its first appearance at the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on the BMW Vision iNext, a fully electric concept vehicle with a futuristic and minimalist interior. The iNext was the predecessor to the BMW iX production vehicle and served as a showcase of technological advancements for the German luxury sport automaker.
BMW refers to Shy Tech as "a hidden world of interaction and functionality at your fingertips." The idea behind Shy Tech is to reduce the number of buttons, switchgear, and displays in the vehicle. Instead, using "smart" materials and surfaces allows occupants to interact with the vehicle's systems through touch. The result is a more modern-looking space that is clean to the eye and free of clutter.
This approach underpins the notion that technology will no longer be the focus in the future; rather, people will be the focus. By keeping tech features out of sight, the vehicle's cabin becomes an environment that centers on comfort and relaxation instead of digital operations. This aligns with a "less is more" philosophy, especially as vehicle interiors shift toward an autonomous future.
The BMW design team made a deliberate effort to hide or eliminate anything that could be hidden or eliminated. "I began with the approach of really questioning every element in this car, and really asking myself, 'does the car need this,'" said BMW interior designer Simon Sebastian. "And if it didn't, I took it out."
Shy Tech features on the all-new BMW iX are subtle yet engaging. These intelligent functions include a sound system cloaked by acoustic fabric, radiant heat in the dash and door panels, and haptic controls concealed by open-pore wood trim. But all these features remain predominantly in the background. Their functionality is revealed only when put into use.
One such feature of the BMW iX lives on the vehicle's exterior. It's an innovative washer fluid system with a water inlet behind the BMW roundel logo above the kidney grille. The owner pushes the emblem to open and refill the reservoir to top off the washer fluid. The wiper system is then ready for operation.
Aside from sending washer fluid to the windshield wipers, the washer fluid system can also clean the front and rear cameras at either end of the vehicle. It sprays the lenses and eliminates any dirt or debris. After cleaning, the mechanism hides again behind the BMW emblem. This is an example of how Shy Tech stays hidden until called into action.
As a production vehicle, the iX is just the beginning of how extensively BMW will realize Shy Tech in the future. The iNext concept vehicle provided a more complete vision of where this technology may go.
For instance, the upholstery in the rear seat of the iNext comes to life at the touch of a finger. Advanced LED lighting magically follows the finger across the acoustic cloth, allowing rear-seat passengers to control music playback and volume using various gestures.
Shy Tech turns seemingly ordinary surfaces into unexpected user interfaces. Featuring electrically powered door locks, hidden speakers, styled air vents, and heated surfaces, this unique array of tech centers around undetectable elements that create a more minimalist interior for BMW owners, now and into the future.
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