Car giant Nissan has revealed technology that could help cars of the future read the minds of drivers and speed up vehicle reactions.
The Japanese firm has announced the first details of research into what it is calling Brain-to-Vehicle (B2V) technology, which uses brainwave-reading tech to spot signals related to movement – such as turning the wheel or pressing a pedal.
Nissan 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.”
Nissan says the technology will use a special headset worn by the driver to monitor brain signs, and can also be used if and when a car is in autonomous mode – changing in-car comfort settings if it senses discomfort.
The firm says its technology has the ability to enable a car to take action between 0.2 and 0.5 seconds faster once it detects intended movement from the driver.
