For decades, BMW built its reputation around the tagline “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” which appealed to driver enthusiasts and the masses alike. It was more than a tagline in the sense that BMW is capable of designing a car with a direct, visceral connection between the driver and the machine. But as vehicles become more computerized, even something as simple as braking is no longer immune to digital mediation.
A recently published BMW patent outlines a new braking system that doesn’t just amplify a driver’s input; it actively interprets and connects it. The innovation promises greater safety and reliability, but it also makes us wonder how much control modern drivers will truly retain behind the wheel.
- Divisions
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BMW M
- Founded
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March 7, 1916
- Founder
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Camillo Castiglioni, Franz Josef Popp, and
Karl Rapp - Headquarters
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Munich, Germany
- Current CEO
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Oliver Zipse
- Status
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Active
A Brake System That Thinks For Itself
We’ll admit that the verbiage for the patent itself is pretty dense, but the idea is remarkably simple. It’s a brake system that maintains constant brake pressure, regardless of how the driver moves the pedal or lever along its path. The brake pressure in a system is normally determined directly by the driver’s force on the pedal, which transfers hydraulic pressure to the brake calipers. BMW’s design introduces a control device that automatically adjusts the fluid volume in the system, ensuring that pressure remains stable even if the driver’s input is uneven.
This means smoother and more predictable braking. This also means that even if the driver presses down harder on the brake pedal when coming to a stop and eases up slightly at the end, which creates inconsistent pressure, the new brake system balances those variations in real time. Essentially, the car is thinking for the driver and smoothing out human imperfections to create a seamless braking experience.
Redundancy That Keeps Humans Out Of The Loop
Considering the way the braking system is designed, it’s a no-brainer that it creates redundancies, but that’s not a bad thing. Redundancy can prove to be a fail-safe, as in BMW’s new system, if the hydraulic circuit fails, the control device can regulate the pressure through another pathway. The result is better reliability, especially under demanding conditions like emergency stops or downhill braking. The SAE notes, “This applies in particular to the fault tolerance of the brake system. Since drivers cannot form a fallback layer of braking functions due to the mechanical decoupling of the brake pedal, known brake-by-wire concepts provide a redundant system layer.”
This type of system also works well in autonomous and semi-autonomous brake systems, where the driver must intervene in some situations to stop the car. Even though the system can apply the brakes itself, the redundant system allows for the brake pedal to be overridden when necessary for reliability and safety’s sake, reports Automotive IQ. This also translates into fewer surprises, which means no sudden “soft pedal” and no erratic changes in brake feel. But there is a subtle trade-off.
With a computer-controlled correction between the driver’s foot and the braking system, BMW is moving a step further from the traditional, mechanical bond that once defined the act of driving, hence the “ultimate driving machine.” With this system, the driver is no longer the final authority, since the system modulates and delivers the braking power.
Fail-Safe Tech For An Autonomous Future
Although the patent does not mention autonomous cars, it’s hard to miss that this system could be used for them. Autonomous vehicles need brake systems that don’t entirely depend on human input. This would be a system that can independently regulate brake pressure, correct inconsistencies, and maintain predictable braking performance without relying on a human foot pressing the pedal, which is critical for both fully autonomous and semi-autonomous systems.
Take into consideration a scenario where a car’s sensors detect a hazard and trigger emergency braking before the driver has time to react. In this case, the consistency of the brake pressure isn’t about comfort; it’s about life-saving protection. The ability to maintain predictable braking performance without relying on a human foot pressing the pedal is important in these types of situations.
As such, BMW’s patent reflects this futuristic vision. Even if the German brand markets the system as a refined system for everyday driving, the technology will cater to self-driving and semi-autonomous advanced driving systems in the future, where the vehicle’s computer systems make critical safety decisions in real time.
The Fine Line Between Assistance And Control
This brings us to the main question: how much of the driving experience is lost when the machine takes over the tasks that humans are meant to do? For driving enthusiasts, BMW has also appealed to the unfiltered connection between the driver and the car. Every press of the brake pedal, every modulation of your foot pressure, is part of that experience. By smoothing out those inputs, the system diminishes that genuine experience, even if you’re just braking to come to a complete stop.
On that note, it’s worth bringing up that most drivers aren’t chasing racetrack-level driving performance. Instead, most drivers want to be safe and have consistent brake pressure whenever they hit the pedal. In that case, BMW’s new brake system could be a welcome layer of protection, since it reduces the capacity for human error without the driver having to think about it.
Ultimately, BMW’s innovative braking system is both practical and symbolic. It’s practical in the sense that it’s a meaningful advancement in safety and consistency, with future applications for autonomous driving. But it’s also symbolic in the sense that it undermines human control in the equation, which can make the driving experience feel muted.
For some drivers, this new technology may feel like a natural progression when it comes to driving safety. For others, it’s a reminder that the connection between man and machine is ever-changing, with machines increasingly becoming more self-sufficient. Either way, BMW is clearly moving from the driver-focused brand it once was into one that’s more defined by computerized systems and sensors, which could redefine what it means to produce the “ultimate driving machine.”