4 ms·

Calling bs on this article. It is normal that cars like that one can be used by the developers even off-hours. Typically you have to write a short test report a

Calling bs on this article. It is normal that cars like that one can be used by the developers even off-hours. Typically you have to write a short test report after the weekend and ingest the recorded drives. That extends the spread of tested scenarios. The car is not equipped for higher automation levels, which require a much bigger sensor set. You'd be able to see them. It has a bog standard assistance set. The friggin' stickers are for GDPR reasons and they just designed a single sticker that is used all over the test fleet. The claim "automated" is the same hybris all over the industry, managers trying to compete on claims. It does say nothimg about the capabilities of BMW in the field.

f1shy 4y ago
100% wanted to state that. The stickers are also not as misleading. After all, the data collected will be used for that purpose, training or tests for autonomous driving.
- watwut 4y ago
  I interpreted sticker as an add basically, nothing more.
weinzierl 4y ago
I'd also like to second this and I'd like to add regarding the following paragraph: "It is normal that cars like that one can be used by the developers even off-hours. Typically you have to write a short test report after the weekend and ingest the recorded drives. That extends the spread of tested scenarios." That is absolutely true and BMW camouflaged cars with stickers, like the ones described in the article, are a very, very common sight in and around Munich. I'd say in the northern parts of the city and the Autobahn leading northward you are bound to see one if you just wait a short while. This also means that naturally they are involved in accidents and occasionally even in fatal ones. Despite that these cars are common and there are a ton of people driving them, every single person moving one of these cars has had very thorough training. BMW has a whole bouquet of internal drivers licenses with increasing difficulty. It is normal that even people working in software have the basic levels of BMW driving licenses if there is the chance that the they have to use a "test vehicle" (which again there are different classes of).

f1shy 4y ago

100% wanted to state that. The stickers are also not as misleading. After all, the data collected will be used for that purpose, training or tests for autonomous driving.

watwut 4y ago
I interpreted sticker as an add basically, nothing more.

weinzierl 4y ago

I'd also like to second this and I'd like to add regarding the following paragraph: "It is normal that cars like that one can be used by the developers even off-hours. Typically you have to write a short test report after the weekend and ingest the recorded drives. That extends the spread of tested scenarios." That is absolutely true and BMW camouflaged cars with stickers, like the ones described in the article, are a very, very common sight in and around Munich. I'd say in the northern parts of the city and the Autobahn leading northward you are bound to see one if you just wait a short while. This also means that naturally they are involved in accidents and occasionally even in fatal ones. Despite that these cars are common and there are a ton of people driving them, every single person moving one of these cars has had very thorough training. BMW has a whole bouquet of internal drivers licenses with increasing difficulty. It is normal that even people working in software have the basic levels of BMW driving licenses if there is the chance that the they have to use a "test vehicle" (which again there are different classes of).