Nissan B2V technology to redefine future of driving

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd has unveiled its Brain-to-Vehicle (B2V) technology that will enable vehicles to interpret signals from the driver’s brain, redefining how people interact with their cars. The technology promises to speed up reaction times for drivers and will lead to cars that will keep adapting to make driving more enjoyable.

Nissan demonstrated its capabilities of this exclusive technology at the CES 2018 trade show in Las Vegas. 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. But 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 deliver more autonomy, more electrification and more connectivity and move people to a better world,” Nissan Executive Vice- President Daniele Schillaci, said.

Nissan had unveiled its “Intelligent Mobility” vision at the Geneva International Motor Show 2016. Created to guide the Nissan product evolution, Intelligent Mobility vision anchors critical company decisions around how cars are powered, how cars are driven, and how cars integrate into society, all while staying focused on creating more enjoyable driving experiences.

This breakthrough from Nissan is the result of research into using brain decoding technology to predict a driver’s actions and detect discomfort.

Predict: By catching signs that the driver’s brain is about to initiate a movement – such as turning the steering wheel or pushing the accelerator pedal – driver assist technologies can begin the action more quickly. This can improve reaction times and enhance manual driving.

Detect: By detecting and evaluating driver discomfort, artificial intelligence can change the driving configuration or driving style when in autonomous mode. Other possible uses include adjusting the vehicle’s internal environment, Lucian Gheorghe, Senior Innovation Researcher at the Nissan Research Center in Japan, who’s leading the B2V research, said. For example, the technology can use augmented reality to adjust what the driver sees and create a more relaxing environment.

Nissan’s B2V technology is the world’s first system of its kind. The driver wears a device that measures brain wave activity, which is then analyzed by autonomous systems. By anticipating intended movement, the systems can take actions – such as turning the steering wheel or slowing the car – 0.2 to 0.5 seconds faster than the driver, while remaining largely imperceptible.

Nissan will use a driving simulator to demonstrate some elements of the technology at CES, and Gheorghe will be on hand to answer questions. Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2016, the company sold 5.63 million vehicles globally, generating revenues of 11.72 trillion yen. In fiscal 2017, the company embarked on Nissan M.OV.E. to 2022, a six-year plan targeting a 30% increase in annualised revenues to 16.5 trillion yen by the end of fiscal 2022, along with a core operating profit margin of 8% and cumulative free cash flow of 2.5 trillion yen.