Nissan is paving the way for cars to become mind readers in the not too distant future.
Brain-to-Vehicle, or B2V, technology which picks up signals from the brain, promises to speed up reaction times and will lead to cars that keep adapting – to make driving more enjoyable.
B2V is the latest development in Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the company’s vision for transforming how cars are driven, powered and integrated into society.
“When most people think about autonomous driving, they have a very impersonal vision of the future, where humans relinquish control to the machines,” Nissan Executive Vice President, Daniele Schillaci, said.
“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.”
The breakthrough research uses technology that decodes messages from the brain to predict a driver’s actions as well as to detect discomfort.
By detecting signs the driver’s brain is about to initiate a movement – such as turning the steering wheel or pushing the accelerator – driver assist technologies can begin the action more quickly.
This can improve reaction times and enhance manual driving.
By detecting and evaluating driver discomfort, artificial intelligence could also change the driving configuration or driving style when in autonomous mode.
The technology could also be used to adjust the the cabin environment.
For example it ios possible to augment reality, to change what the driver sees to create a more relaxing environment.
“The potential applications of the technology are incredible,” said Dr. Lucian Gheorghe, senior innovation researcher at the Nissan Research Center in Japan, who’s leading the B2V research.
“This research will be a catalyst for more Nissan innovation inside our vehicles in the years to come.”
Nissan will demonstrate capabilities of the technology at the coming CES 2018 trade show in Las Vegas.
