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-   -   BMW Advanced Car Eye 2.0! Radar-based in-car surveillance system to catch vandals (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifications-accessories/206917-bmw-advanced-car-eye-2-0-radar-based-car-surveillance-system-catch-vandals.html)

Background: Some lowlife has been vandalising our cars in basement by scratching. My Audi was subjected to a complete scratch on driver side 4 panels and BMW 5 series was subjected to similar vandalism but thankfully the most part of the scratch was superficial on BMW so the day was saved.

But In case of Audi, I had to get entire side repainted at a painful cost.

I had Transcend dashcam in one of my BMW but the problem with the device is that it switches off the moment ignition is switched off.

I searched on internet for possible solutions and as immediate fix I had transcend dashcam on my X5 connected to a high capacity powerbank that can help record for over 15 hours while car is parked and switched off. This was one jugaad solution and I wanted a better fix.

Came across BMW Advanced Car Eye 2.0, a radar based security and surveillance system introduced recently by BMW worldwide and now available in India.

The system comprises of 2 high definition cameras, one for front and one for rear. Most amazing thing about the system is that both cameras work together and BMW has developed an AI based software that records any attempt at vandalism while parked. This is based on radar that both cameras have that can detect movement at an early stage and starts recording in parking mode.
And it works for 24 hours without ignition on!

I ordered 2 of these system and got them installed in both my 5 series (see pictures below) and X5.

Benefits:
- Tamper proof surveillance system that starts recording in "driving" mode the moment you start your car. This captures the GPS location and GPS based true speed of the car. In my opinion this is a must these days to prove your innocence in case you are involved in an accident.

- 24 hour "Parking" mode that is based on radar based movement detection records any attempt at vandalism, this is also assisted by a G shock sensor.

- Records both at front and back.

- Completely integrates with BMW car system, no visible cables, no jugaad connectivity.

- A very friendly app for both IOS and Android. You can wirelessly connect and download all or selective recordings with tagged details to your phone's local storage.




Downside
- The only downside that I see with the system is its cost, Rs. 57000.00. I request BMW to consider including this as part of BMW Secure package at subsidised cost working with car insurer.

I highly recommend this system to fellow BMW owners, this is still a small cost to protect your beloved BMW. I did not want to wait for posting a detailed review due to paucity of time, a timely review may help a fellow BHPian. Feel free to ask me any question.

Most decent webcams now come in with motion detector, the precise function being recording when ignition is off.
Not sure if they are available in India but these days its not rocket science to get your hands on them.

One of the articles I came across recently is here.

Wouldn't adding a CCTV in your basement solved this problem? You get the ones that switch on a flood light on detecting motion, that stops the vandal before they cause harm to the car.

Please share where can I buy this in India as I still have jugaad solution of power bank on one of my cars. Thanks.

Very cool :thumbs up. Thanks for sharing!

Just wanted to also throw in the idea of a CCTV camera over your parking spot. If you already have a CCTV system, an additional camera costs just 2,000 - 3,000 bucks plus wiring. A CCTV camera acts as a major pest repellent too (the human kind of pest :D). Even if you don't already have a CCTV system, it'll cost less than this BMW cam:

The humble Viofo A119s V2 dashcam model that I have comes with motion detection capability. I'm sure there are other models that have this too. If this feature is turned on and assuming you have hardwired the dashcam to the car's fusebox (in order for power to be constantly available to the dashcam), it will leave the dashcam in hibernation when the ignition is switched off; if it detects any movement in its field of vision when hibernating, it will power up, record and go back to sleep. I haven't tried it since that would require hardwiring and my car is still under OEM warranty...

The Dashcam thread on this forum and another dedicated thread on how to hardwire a dashcam will help you on the "how to DIY".

Edit: I realized I still haven't answered your "where to buy" query - a lot of us here have been buying from aliexpress.com. Items arrive a good 30 days later, often requiring customs duty to be paid to the postman who delivers it. I wouldn't even bother trying on Amazon.in since these are way costlier here.

Thanks GTO. I live on 21st floor. Builder CCTV coverage is not adequate.


Thanks. I am sure there are solutions in market for other cars. As a BMW owner I would not like to screw up my warranty by tampering with wiring etc. This system has much more than "motion detection". Just google.

Nevertheless, this works for me and is a small price for 2 premium cars' protection.

Spot on! An investment of 3 K for me and footage that feeds the front gate and door plus the street where I park my car is worth every cent! And I can monitor it on my iphone LIVE!

Go to Amazon.com mate and use global shipping feature.
Have attached the screenshot for you. Someone mentioned Ali express, that is good but in terms of tracking and clarity of transaction this is much better

Thanks Nitish. i think we all are missing my point here. It is not about solutions available in market, it is about an integrated solution from manufacturer itself.

Unfortunately, any other device (I had done my research earlier) require a hard wiring and tapping in to car's electronic for it to work in parking mode, now problem with that is that you will have to tamper with electronics of the car and in case of a luxury car you can't take a risk on voiding the warranty of your 70 lac or 1 crore car, trust I am clear in making my point here.

One additional issue that I found with "normal motion sensor" based parking recording is delay in start of recording. BMW uses a proprietary algorithm that works together with "radar" and various sensors (including motion sensor) to start recording the moment "a threat" is detected.

I know the biggest deterrent is cost of the product but I checked on Amazon US and similar "advance software/feature" cams are also priced between $400 to $500 (with taxes).

https://www.amazon.com/Thinkware-2-C...+mode+dash+cam

and disadvantage again is "hardwiring to battery" and tampering with OEM wiring.

I checked these cameras but ended up buying the Polaroid S360 series, priced a little lesser, for my beemer. It's a straight plug and play to the Electricals and after the ignition off the recording is at a much lower FPS and has all the sensors and camera could be tilted for 360degree recording.

But off late I'm getting a battery discharge error when I switch on. Couldn't zero in on the reason. Could be either the battery is weak as its close to 7.5 years or the dash cam and some other accessories might be the culprit here. Hope it's the later.

Precisely the reason I went with BMW OEM solution, This has voltage protection and CAN interface to ensure that it is integrated with vehicle electronics.

I am a happy customer, though will still crib about the high price.

Thanks for sharing.

What was the exact MRP, Selling Price and cost of installation?

That's the biggest key benefit. Plus its dual cam. Lastly won't give BMW any excuse to say void warranty.

This camera looks much better integrated than the previous generation that I have in my GT. Had this been available at that time I would have gone for this.

Totally agree with your choosing this over cheaper after market solutions. This camera integrates seamlessly into the BMW’s electrical system and there is absolutely no warranty concerns!

A good buy, I would say.

Sorry for the offtopic post, but this reminds me of a prank which is still working fine for the locals. In addition to the actual CCTV covering the front gates, I have these fake cams installed all over the place which is used precisely for scaring away such pests. lol:

The main cam is positioned discreetly, but these dummy ones are positioned at places to draw attention. It also has an LED which keeps flashing at regular intervals, as if its working overtime. stupid: This has successfully reduced cases of vandalism and minor theft. Deterring such pests in the first place is much more important than having a video of your property being vandalised.

Regards,
Shashi