BMW is inviting owners of the iX3, i3, X5, and 7 Series to participate as real-world safety testers.

BMW has organised a video-data program for the iX3, which provides an opportunity for the luxury electric SUV in order to participate in a real-world safety testing program. In this program, the owners of the iX3 will be the real-world safety testers. This program is already operational from April 2026. 

This program helps in selecting new-generation iX3 models with the right hardware as they record short clips, the moment a car's ADAS detects a risky or tricky situation in the EU markets. This helps in training the ADAS software on real-world events instead of heavily dependent on simulations, thus helping the system to be more accurate and efficient, resulting in enhanced safety. 

According to BMW’s regulatory material claims, the limited number of iX3 models may also collect video, if they are operating on a specific operating system and sensor package. The program is also applicable on BMW’s other models such as i3, 7 Series and X5 as well. 

How BMW Trains ADAS?

In order to make ADAS accurate, the manufacturer needs real-world vehicle data in order to collect scenarios that virtual simulations don't provide. In this program, every video clip captured from a 2026 BMW iX3 goes through machine-learning algorithms that train ADAS and semi-autonomous software. 

Once the algorithm updates, BMW sends updated software back to cars through an OTA update, so that owners don’t have to come to dealers for the software updates. 

According to BMW, the faces and license plates of other road users are blurred in the vehicles in order to protect their privacy. Once the footage reaches BMW’s systems, the vehicle identification numbers are deleted and further development continues. 

The company only takes video of safety-relevant ADAS, as each of the video is limited to 120 seconds of unedited video that integrates exterior camera footage with data from the car’s exterior sensors.