Outsight’s Software Solution Powers Automation Across BMW Factories

Frequently Asked Questions

• How does infrastructure-based LiDAR guide autonomous vehicles inside a factory compared to onboard sensors?

  Infrastructure-based LiDAR mounts sensors on fixed points throughout a facility, such as ceilings, poles, and gantries, giving the system a complete, occlusion-free view of every vehicle in motion across the entire plant floor. An onboard sensor sees only what is ahead of one vehicle and cannot track other vehicles simultaneously. The infrastructure model centralizes the perception workload: one software stack handles all vehicles at once, which simplifies safety certification and allows the autonomous-driving controller to receive a shared, site-wide picture rather than each vehicle reasoning in isolation. Outsight applies exactly this approach inside BMW factories through its Roadside Autonomous Driving solution, where infrastructure-mounted LiDAR feeds a unified 3D understanding of the production environment to guide autonomous vehicles without placing any perception hardware on the vehicles themselves.

• What safety certification does BMW's in-plant autonomous vehicle system carry?

  The Automated Vehicle Marshalling system deployed at BMW's Dingolfing plant has obtained CE certification, the conformity marking required for machinery and automated systems operated in European industrial environments. CE certification verifies that the system meets EU safety, health, and environmental requirements. This certification was achieved through Outsight's RAD (Roadside Autonomous Driving) solution, which uses infrastructure-based LiDAR perception to guide autonomous vehicles through factory environments without relying on onboard sensors. The certified system then enabled rollout planning across additional BMW facilities in Leipzig, Regensburg, Oxford, and the planned Debrecen plant in Hungary.

• How many data points per second does the BMW factory LiDAR perception system process?

  The Roadside Autonomous Driving solution deployed at BMW's Dingolfing plant processes up to 600 million LiDAR data points per second across the full system, with the per-vehicle guidance workload running at 60 million points per second. This throughput is delivered through Outsight's infrastructure-based approach, where LiDAR sensors are mounted in the facility rather than on each vehicle. That capacity is sufficient to guide approximately 300 vehicles per day through routes of more than one kilometer from assembly halls to finishing zones, without human intervention.

• What role does each partner play in the BMW Automated Vehicle Marshalling system?

  Three companies provide distinct layers. Hesai supplies the physical LiDAR sensors mounted throughout BMW's facilities. Outsight's software ingests the raw sensor data and converts it into a real-time 3D perception stream, tracking each vehicle's position and trajectory through the SHIFT platform, which processes data end-to-end in under 50 milliseconds. Embotech provides the autonomous driving stack that consumes that perception stream and issues motion commands to the vehicles. The three components are independently replaceable because Outsight's software is hardware-agnostic across more than 210 LiDAR sensor models, reflecting the multi-vendor compatibility that underpins its Infrastructure-based Physical AI approach.

• Can the same LiDAR perception software used for factory vehicle guidance also handle worker safety?

  Yes. Infrastructure-based LiDAR perception classifies both vehicles and people within the same 3D scene, distinguishing cars, trucks, pedestrians, and equipment simultaneously. In an automotive plant, this means the system can detect a worker entering a vehicle path and trigger a stop command before a collision occurs. Outsight's SHIFT platform applies exactly this principle across BMW factories, where the same classification pipeline that tracks autonomous vehicle trajectories also assigns bounding boxes and behavior labels to people. Worker-safety monitoring and vehicle guidance become complementary outputs of one shared sensor network rather than separate systems, reducing infrastructure overhead while covering both operational and safety requirements from a single deployment.

• Why is a hardware-agnostic perception stack important for a multi-plant factory rollout?

  Large manufacturers rarely standardize on a single LiDAR sensor model across all facilities. Ceiling heights, bay widths, outdoor versus indoor exposure, and local procurement contracts all push different plants toward different sensor hardware. A software stack tied to one sensor vendor forces a costly hardware standardization project before deployment can scale. A hardware-agnostic stack, compatible with sensors from multiple manufacturers, allows each plant to select the sensor that fits its physical layout and budget while running the same software and producing the same structured perception output. Outsight's SHIFT platform is built on exactly this principle, supporting hardware from Hesai, RoboSense, Ouster, Velodyne, and others, which is part of why BMW has deployed it across multiple factories. That multi-vendor compatibility simplifies IT integration and operator training across a global production network without forcing a disruptive sensor consolidation program first.

• Which BMW car models drive themselves to the finishing area using LiDAR-based software?

  BMW's Series 5, Series 7 and MINI Countryman models navigate autonomously to their finishing areas using LiDAR technology and Outsight's software. This happens at BMW's Dingolfing plant, the largest in Europe, as part of the Automated Driving In-Plant program. Newly built cars leave the assembly halls, pass through test courses and reach the finishing zones without a driver. The project shows how Spatial Intelligence can support automation in modern manufacturing.

• How far do new BMW cars travel without a driver inside the Dingolfing plant?

  At BMW's Dingolfing plant, new vehicles autonomously travel over one kilometer from the assembly halls, through test courses, to the finishing zones. They are guided by Outsight's Roadside Autonomous Driving (RAD) solution, using feedback from advanced LiDAR sensors. The technology ensures precision and safety as vehicles navigate BMW facilities without human intervention. Dingolfing is the largest plant in Europe, and it is where BMW began deploying its Automated Driving In-Plant program.

• How many cars a day does the RAD system guide at BMW's Dingolfing factory?

  Outsight's RAD solution guides approximately 300 cars daily at BMW's Dingolfing plant. To do so, it processes 60 million LiDAR data points per second, a breakthrough that enhances both efficiency and safety. Each vehicle travels over one kilometer from the assembly halls, through test courses, to the finishing zones. Outsight delivered BMW's Automated Vehicle Marshalling system in collaboration with Embotech, which brings autonomous driving expertise, and Hesai, which supplies the LiDAR sensors.

• Which BMW plants will receive automated in-plant driving after Dingolfing?

  With CE certification secured, BMW plans to roll out the system across its factories in Leipzig, Regensburg and Oxford, and at the upcoming Debrecen facility in Hungary. The integrated solution already supports the marshalling of newly manufactured vehicles in three BMW facilities. This is described as the initial phase of a global rollout to multiple plants across Europe and North America. The expansion builds on the first deployment at Dingolfing.

• What is the difference between BMW's Automated Driving In-Plant (AFW) and Automated Vehicle Marshalling (AVM)?

  Automated Driving In-Plant (AFW) is BMW's overall program for letting new vehicles drive themselves inside its factories, which began at the Dingolfing plant. Automated Vehicle Marshalling (AVM) is an essential component of AFW: the system that moves newly built cars through production and logistics stages. Outsight, Embotech and Hesai delivered the AVM system together. Outsight's RAD solution is the software base for AVM in the BMW plant, combined with Embotech's autonomous driving expertise and Hesai's LiDAR sensors.

• What is the Roadside Autonomous Driving (RAD) solution used in BMW factories?

  Roadside Autonomous Driving (RAD) is Outsight's solution for guiding vehicles using feedback from advanced LiDAR sensors processed by Outsight's perception software. At BMW, it is the software base for Automated Vehicle Marshalling. RAD is hardware-agnostic, processes up to 600 million data points per second and integrates sensors from multiple manufacturers, which enables swift hardware upgrades. RAD also belongs to the broader Automated Valet Parking market.

• What is BMW's long-term goal for autonomous driving inside its production network?

  BMW aims to log millions of autonomous kilometers within its production network over the next decade, and the implementation with Outsight, Embotech and Hesai contributes to this goal. The initiative marks a leap forward in combining autonomous driving technologies with real-world industrial applications. With CE certification secured, BMW plans to roll out the system to Leipzig, Regensburg, Oxford and the upcoming Debrecen facility in Hungary, as the initial phase of a rollout across Europe and North America.

• How many BMW factories currently use the Outsight, Embotech and Hesai marshalling system?

  The integrated solution is actively supporting the marshalling of newly manufactured vehicles through various stages of the production and logistics process in three BMW facilities. This deployment marks the initial phase of a global rollout to multiple plants across Europe and North America. Named future sites include Leipzig, Regensburg, Oxford and the upcoming Debrecen facility in Hungary. The first deployment took place at Dingolfing, BMW's largest plant in Europe, where around 300 cars are guided every day.

• What does Raul Bravo say the BMW factory project shows about LiDAR software maturity?

  Raul Bravo, President Founder of Outsight, says the collaboration with Embotech, Hesai and BMW highlights the increasing maturity of LiDAR technology, particularly the software underpinning it. He adds that its application to real-world factory conditions demonstrates its ability to enhance industrial safety and efficiency. He also underlines the importance of a comprehensive framework to realise the potential of autonomous driving. The BMW deployment is presented as proof of this maturity.

• Can the perception technology behind BMW's autonomous factory vehicles be used outside manufacturing?

  Yes. According to the article, LiDAR's utility in dynamic environments extends beyond manufacturing, with proven applications in large venues such as airports and stadiums to enhance crowd management. Roadside Autonomous Driving solutions like Outsight's RAD also form a specific segment of the broader Automated Valet Parking market. RAD is hardware-agnostic, processes up to 600 million data points per second and allows integration with sensors from multiple manufacturers, which enables swift hardware upgrades and future scalability.

• How can factories automate vehicle movements using sensors in the infrastructure?

  Sensors installed in the factory can see the whole area, locate each vehicle precisely and guide it safely around people and obstacles. This is the principle of Roadside Autonomous Driving: infrastructure-based Physical AI built on 3D LiDAR provides the perception, and the vehicle receives driving instructions. BMW relies on Outsight's Roadside Autonomous Driving solution to move newly built cars autonomously across its production network. The approach avoids fitting every vehicle with its own perception hardware.