Nissan has recently unveiled its research that will enable vehicles to interpret signals from the driver’s brain, redefining how people interact with their cars.

Dubbed as Brain-to-Vehicle or B2V, the technology promises to speed up reaction times for drivers and will lead to cars that keep adapting to make driving more enjoyable.

 

The Japanese car maker demonstrated its capabilities at the recently concluded 2018 CES trade show in Las Vegas.  The B2V is the latest development in Nissan Intelligent Mobility, where the company’s vision will transform on how cars are driven, powered and integrated into society. Nissan has developed new technology that allows vehicles to read the brain activity of drivers, and initiate movement in response.

Daniele Schillaci, Executive Vice President of Nissan, 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,” Schillaci added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCi6taII6Yo

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, said Dr. Lucian Gheorghe, Senior Innovation Researcher at the Nissan Research Center in Japan, who’s leading the B2V research.

“The potential applications of the technology are incredible,” Gheorghe said. “This research will be a catalyst for more Nissan innovation inside our vehicles in the years to come.”