Nissan Wants To Get Into Your Head With New Brain-To-Vehicle Technology

While the concept of vehicle to vehicle communication is still being formulated, the researchers at Nissan thought that it was not enough and went on in search of something more. Nissan today unveiled a research which will enable vehicles to interpret signals from the driver's brain, thus redefining how people interact with their cars.

The company's Brain-to-Vehicle, or B2V, technology promises to speed up reaction times for drivers and will lead to cars that keep adapting to make driving more enjoyable. Nissan will demonstrate capabilities of this exclusive technology at the CES 2018 trade show in Las Vegas.

Nissan's Executive Vice President Daniele Schillaci said, "When most people think about autonomous driving, they have a very impersonal vision of the future, where humans relinquish control to the machines. 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 technology is a result of research into using brain decoding technology to predict a driver's actions and detect discomfort. 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. The technology also helps in detecting and evaluating driver discomfort, artificial intelligence can change the driving configuration or driving style when in autonomous mode.

Dr. Lucian Gheorghe, senior innovation researcher at the Nissan Research Center in Japan, is leading the B2V research. 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.

It's certainly an interesting concept and Nissan is trying to get into your head and that for a change will prove to help in improving safety systems on cars.