July 20, 2024 – BMW has set up the world’s first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system designed specifically for automobiles in Hawaii, USA, utilizing AI to assist in detecting potential safety hazards in vehicles.
Magnetic resonance imaging, commonly known as MRI, is a medical imaging technique that employs magnetic fields and radio waves generated by computers to produce detailed visuals of human organs and tissues. However, BMW has innovatively applied this technology in its car service centers, enabling comprehensive vehicle inspections without human supervision.
According to Lydell Bangloy, the manager of BMW of Honolulu, the previous inspection method involved a staff member manually walking around each car with a camera to identify any damage. Now, with this advanced system, a car simply drives through a machine that completes a 360-degree scan in just a few seconds, even inspecting the underside of the vehicle, an area that is typically difficult to access manually.
Conventional MRI scans take several minutes, but in a video demonstration of this new system, a BMW drives through at normal speed and the entire scanning process is completed in under five seconds.
Immediately after the scan, car owners can receive an intuitive report on the condition of their vehicle at a self-service kiosk. This report is then sent to their mobile phones for convenient access.
While some customers may be apprehensive about entrusting artificial intelligence with evaluating their prized vehicles, Bangloy maintains that this technology is “more accurate than humans” in detecting issues.
