This incredible technology will let you drive a car with your mind

Nissan is developing a "car of the future that will read your brain waves," said Jie Ma and Nao Sano at Bloomberg​. The automaker this week unveiled its "brain-to-vehicle" technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The system tries to "decode" a driver's thinking to "anticipate actions" and make hands-on driving more fun. The driver wears a skullcap with electrodes that transmit brainwave activity to influence the steering, acceleration, and braking systems. "The driver still turns the wheel or hits the gas pedal, but the car anticipates those movements and begins the actions 0.2 seconds to 0.5 seconds sooner."

Nissan is also planning to release autonomous vehicles in 2022, and the skullcap can distinguish driver "preferences and discomfort" so the car can adjust accordingly and switch back to manual. "Driving pleasure is something as humans we should not lose," said Lucian Gheorghe, Nissan's senior innovation researcher.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up