BMW Wants to Turn Door Handles Into Displays
Door handles are pretty simple. You pull one, the door opens, and you get inside. Simple, right? Yet automakers seem determined to reinvent something that has worked just fine for decades, giving us increasingly elaborate designs, including hidden door handles.
BMW is no stranger to that trend. The new X5 and its electric iX5 get hidden door handles, giving the popular SUV lineup a cleaner exterior appearance. However, a newly published patent suggests the German automaker could have even bigger plans for this seemingly ordinary component.
Spotted by CarMoses, BMW filed the patent last April, and it surfaced only last week. The idea? Slap a MicroLED display right into the door handle, turning what used to be a simple grip into a tiny interactive screen.
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A Tiny Screen Could Do More Than Light Up
Unlike conventional illuminated door handles that mainly use lighting to improve visibility, BMW’s proposed design could display different images based on the vehicle’s status or the user’s interaction.
For instance, the handle could show one graphic when the doors are locked and another when they’re unlocked. It could also display the BMW logo or animated lighting effects. Sensors could detect an approaching hand or physical contact and trigger the display when needed.
The patent also describes a possible fingerprint sensor integrated into the handle. If the system recognizes an authorized fingerprint, it could unlock the door electrically without a conventional key. BMW even discusses combining fingerprint identification with facial recognition through an interior camera for an additional layer of security.
The display itself could use a thin MicroLED film protected by transparent glass or plastic. This would let the technology fit into the handle without a conventional screen sticking out from the bodywork.
An additional control positioned above the usual door-handle area could also serve as an emergency unlocking feature. However, the patent doesn’t establish exactly how every component would work in a real-world vehicle.
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More Technology, More Things That Could Go Wrong?
There are potential benefits here. A handle that communicates locking status, recognizes its user, and incorporates several controls could make vehicle access more convenient while giving BMW another opportunity to distinguish its designs.
But there’s a practical question: Do door handles really need to be this complicated? Hidden and electronically operated handles have attracted scrutiny over accessibility and reliability, particularly when electrical systems fail. A display, sensors, and biometric recognition add more components that must work reliably in rain, heat, dirt, and everyday use.
That concern is especially relevant as automakers face pressure to reconsider elaborate handle designs. As highlighted by reports of large-scale recalls in China (not to mention fatal incidents), complicated door-opening systems can create problems when their operation becomes less straightforward or reliable.
BMW’s patent is an interesting look at where exterior design and vehicle access technology could go next. Still, it remains a proposal, not a production announcement. Whether drivers will eventually interact with a tiny screen every time they open a BMW remains to be seen.
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