One of the most interesting of the many available gadgets on the BMW X5 is the night vision system with pedestrian and animal detection. Using a FLIR heat detection camera instead of infrared beams, the system projects a real-time thermal image of the road ahead on the car’s display and emits warning sounds when pedestrians and animals are detected. A useful feature, no doubt about it.
In order to test the limits of this technology, MotorTrend’s Justin Bell took a BMW X5 for a 10-mile (16.1-km) drive across downtown Los Angeles relying exclusively on the night vision technology to drive the car. In order to do that, the front windshield was completely blacked out.
Obviously, the big question here is whether he made it safe to the destination, but to find out, you’ll have to scroll down and watch the video.
By Dan Mihalascu
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