BMW is busy testing the viability of driver-free car transportation between its industrial facilities using a small fleet of i7 all-electric flagships.
Responsible for the project is BMW Startup Garage, the company that handles communication with emerging automotive tech companies. For the implementation of this self-driving suite, the BMW division enlisted the help of Seoul Robotics (hardware and digital route map) and Embotech (software).
All BMW i7 cars from the test fleet will attempt to drive themselves from their assembly line to the logistics complex in Dingolfing, Germany later this month. Basically, once complete, they will automatically proceed to the shipment pick-up zone.
Since the self-driving system on board is not feature-complete, it will be using special sensors mounted along the route to the destination and built into the facility walls. Cars will still recognize and react to obstacles independently, only reading the sensors when they need to get back on track.
If the experiment is considered successful, it will later be expanded to other BMW factories.
