BMW Gets in the Pool for the 2016 Olympic Games

Did you watch the 2016 Olympics? Here at Fields BMW Lakeland, in between helping customers at our dealership, we were glued to the screen. Like many people here in the U.S., we’re swimming enthusiasts. When Team USA was in the pool, we were watching. Want to know something cool? BMW actually works with the swimmers from Team USA.

In fact, BMW has been the Official Mobility Partner of the U.S. Olympic Committee for six years. In this role, they’ve developed bobsleds for the U.S. Olympic team, as well as a carbon fiber racing wheelchair for the Paralympic track and field team. For their latest effort, they set out to help the US Olympic swim team train by utilizing the same computer vision technology that helps autonomous BMW vehicles see cars, lanes, pedestrians, parking spaces, and everything else on and around the open road.

To begin, BMW places LED lights on key points along a swimmer’s body, including hips, shoulders, knees, ankles, and wrists. The lights are very small and very light so that they don’t impede movement, but are durable enough to hang on for the swim. An underwater camera tracks and films these lights, capturing key motion points. The footage is utilized to break down the swimmer’s form and technique, giving the coaches and athletes an idea of where to focus their training. With a heaping helping of gold medals in tow, it looks like every ounce of training the U.S. Olympic swim team put in paid off.

While most of us won’t find ourselves under the spotlight in an Olympic pool, that doesn’t mean we can’t treat ourselves to advanced BMW technology. Head in to Fields BMW Lakeland to test drive a new BMW 535i, and to see a great selection of BMW cars in Florida.