Gesture control. Over the years, I can be accused of not having any at all (control of my gestures that is). But this kind of gesture control is something completely different to what we've seen before, in terms of motoring gestures for the masses. For a start, it for the sole benefit of the driver & passengers in the car its fitted in, and its completely unobtrusive. Passengers who try and lean across and change things now won't get a look in, because the camera which records the gesture is located, like all the good functions in a BMW, with a lean towards the driver.
For the short time I had to understand the gesture control functions in the G20 I can already tell you, it's yards ahead of the competition in terms of the forward thinking that has brought the concept to market. In years to come I'm sure it will seem basic, but like BMW adaptive matrix headlights, you never knew you needed this, until you had it and like most things that BMW invent, the possibilities are infinite.
Four standard gestures, and one custom gesture - well, a gesture which allows you to save a function you use a lot to it. Keeping in simple for the first release. For example, drive home. I never really subscribed to the over bling interiors of other marks, and this control makes even less buttons, more flat dash without making the interior look like a mobile phone version of the Starship Enterprise, and when I'm driving at speed, waving without looking down to find a button is the short cut we've all been waiting for.
For the sceptical who say "Well you can ask it to do that anyway..." there is something slightly more instantaneous about waving at the dash, for a 'next' in the menu setting and drawing a circle to turn the volume up or down.
When you're talking to someone, in general you'll find yourselves making signs and signals with your hands at them to reiterate what you're saying and then, have you ever found yourself waving at your phone when you've been on speaker? (Please not just me..)
The relationship between you and your car, just got expressive.