BMW HoloActive Touch system previewed ahead of CES debut

The German luxury car maker says that the system consists of a "free-floating" display, its "virtual" touchscreen controlled by finger gestures.

BMW also claims that the HoloActive Touch system is able to give the driver "tactile feedback" when button clicks, swipes and so forth are registered, although it's not stated how this will be delivered to the driver.

The HoloActive Touch system still includes more common interaction and display methods, including a physical touchscreen, a head-up display, and a large screen in the middle of the dashboard.

As well as controlling in-car functions, the gesture-controlled system allows the driver to access online services through BMW Connected.

Although this technology might sound like sci-fi fantasy, BMW points out that some of the technology that it's debuted in the past at CES has made it through to production.

Most notably, a version of the gesture control system demonstrated at CES 2015 is now available in the latest generations of the 5 Series and 7 Series.

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