Nissan to Show Brain-Monitoring Driving Tech

Vehicles that interpret signals from the driver’s brain promise to redefine how people interact with their cars, Nissan says. The automaker claims its brain-to-vehicle (B2V) technology is the world’s first system of its kind.

The driver wears a device that measures brain wave activity, which then is 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 says the 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 the technology at the CES 2018 trade show in Las Vegas from Jan. 7 - 12.

Nissan will use a driving simulator to demonstrate some elements of the technology at CES. Lucian Gheorghe, senior innovation researcher at the Nissan Research Center in Japan, who leads the B2V research, will be on hand to answer questions. Nissan’s display will be at booth 5431 in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s North Hall.

Nissan Executive Vice President Daniele Schillaci says 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,” Schillaci says in a statement.

“B2V technology does the opposite, by using signals from their own brain to make the drive even more exciting and enjoyable.”

The development is the result of research into using brain decoding technology to predict a driver’s actions and detect discomfort. By catching signs 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.

By detecting and evaluating driver discomfort, artificial intelligence can change the driving configuration or driving style when in autonomous mode.

Gheorghe says other possible uses include adjusting the vehicle’s internal environment. The technology can use augmented reality to adjust what the driver sees and create a more relaxing environment.

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