Nissan Has Developed Super Creepy 'Brain-to-Vehicle' Tech
Nissan has developed new technology that is able to read a driver’s brainwaves and send the information to an autonomous vehicle’s on-board systems.
The brain-to-vehicle technology, or B2V, aims to improve a driver’s reaction times. The driver wears a device on their head that measures brainwave activity and sends it to the vehicle for it to be analyzed. The car can then anticipate a driver’s intended movements, like turning the wheel or bringing the car to a stop, and make the input 0.2 to 0.5 seconds faster. This may sound a bit intrusive, but Nissan promises that users will barely notice the vehicle making the inputs.
“When most people think about autonomous driving, they have a very impersonal vision of the future, where humans relinquish control to the machines,” said Nissan executive vice president Daniele Schillaci. “Yet B2V technology does the opposite, by using signals from their own brain to make the drive even more exciting and enjoyable. Through Nissan Intelligent Mobility, we are moving people to a better world by delivering more autonomy, more electrification and more connectivity.”
SEE ALSO: Nissan’s ProPILOT Paves the Way for Autonomous Cars
The technology will also work if a vehicle is in full autonomous mode. By detecting a passenger’s discomfort, the AI can change the vehicle’s driving configuration or style to better suit them. For example, if a driver is feeling sick, the car may travel slower and make less abrupt movements when turning or accelerating. It could also use brainwave info to adjust the internal environment to their needs, like changing what the passengers see to make them more at ease.
“The potential applications of the technology are incredible,” said Nissan innovation researcher Dr. Lucian Gheorghe said. “This research will be a catalyst for more Nissan innovation inside our vehicles in the years to come.”
Nissan will have a driving simulator set up at CES 2018 later this month, where attendees will get the chance to sample the B2V tech. AutoGuide.com will be on site at CES, so if we get the chance to give this tech a shot, we’ll definitely be providing a report on our experience.
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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