BMW’s crazy AirTouch will turn your entire car into a giant touchscreen interface

Notwithstanding what they routinely show off at some of the world’s largest motor shows like Frankfurt and Geneva, BMW has also lately made it a point to bring something revolutionary to Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest, well, consumer electronics show, every year. Last year, the German carmaker showed off its gesture-control interface that later made its way into the new 7-Series flagship sedan, and this year they are moving the goalposts further with AirTouch.

To be showcased in what BMW is calling a “Vision Car”, AirTouch is, at its most basic definition, a technology that allows intuitive control of entertainment, navigation and communication functions using simple hand gestures. AirTouch allows the display in a vehicle to be operated like a touchscreen without actually having to make contact with the surface. There's still a display that shows navigation, entertainment and communication info, but sensors track hand gestures in the space between the dash and the rear-view mirror rather than requiring taps on the screen.

Compared to previous year’s Touch Command, AirTouch is designed to not only improve the use of gestures inside the car, but to reduce the number of steps required to complete a task. In theory, fewer steps would cut down on the amount of time you're dividing your attention between the road and switching songs.

Both the driver and the passenger have easily accessible buttons to confirm an action alongside the gestures and the system's "large panoramic display." In other words, a passenger can use one hand to navigate the menus while keeping the other on that button to confirm selections.

In the end, the goal behind these systems is to limit driver distraction, enabling you to access and control all your modern in-car infotainment needs without ever having to turn your attention away from the road ahead. How far BMW has succeeded in doing so, we will know for sure in a week at Las Vegas.