Nissan is developing brainwave technology to read and augment driver’s mind (not replace it)
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This car tech makes you a better driver by reading your mind. We gave it a test drive (The Washington Post):
“Might the car of the future be able to read your mind?
At CES, the big tech trade show, cars dominated much of the conversation. But one experience stood out because it was so far-out: I donned an experimental cap from Nissan that interpreted signals from my brain with the goal of making me a better driver.
..brain data is useful for cars with semiautonomous capabilities, says Lucian Gheorghe, the Nissan scientist behind this tech. Certain brain waves, researchers have found, can be interpreted as a signal you want to turn the wheel, up to half a second before you actually do so. Brainwave could predict you want to turn, and the car’s artificial intelligence could start action before your hands do.
“The idea is to try to build a partner from the AI, not to use the AI itself as a replacement,” says Gheorghe. “Then every driver can drive better.”
Nissan probably doesn’t want to be in the business of making brain-reading hats, says Gheorghe. But it wants to be prepared for a future where brain-reading technology might be something people use at home or work already, and can bring with them into the car. “We are becoming a manufacturer of brain-connected ready vehicles,” he says.
News in Context
- Next: Translating brain activity signals into driving and other computer-assisted interactions
- Key patent: Improving driving safety with alarms triggered by impending sleep state, detected via brain signals
- Infographic on Pervasive Neurotechnologies
- 10 neurotechnologies about to transform brain enhancement and brain health
- Session from the 2015 SharpBrains Virtual Summit, including what other car manufacturers have been doing: