Nissan preparing for mind reading
Future technology could help make drivers become more confident and comfortable
LAS VEGAS— 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.
Brainwave, as it’s called, looked (and felt) pretty odd, with wires pok- ing into my scalp. No, Brainwave didn’t let me drive without using my hands, or summon a ride with only my thoughts. But it did gather electroencephalogram, or EEG, data from 11 spots on my brain’s motor cortex while I drove a video-gamestyle car simulation.
That brain data is useful for cars with semi-autonomous 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,” Gheorghe says. “Then every driver can drive better.”
Now comes the hard part. Nissan isn’t putting Brainwave in cars any time soon. Among its many challenges: Getting accurate EEG readings is very hard. Nissan’s cap wasn’t particularly comfortable — the company has to figure out how to make one that can fit many head shapes.
But it wants to be prepared for a future where brain-reading technology might be something people use.
“We are becoming a manufacturer of brain-connected ready vehicles,” Gheorghe says.