autoevolution
 

Nissan Brain-to-Vehicle Technology First Details

It is likely in the not-so-distant future the world’s roads would be heavily populated by autonomous cars, or AVs. According to a study conducted by KPMG, about 95% of car accidents are caused by human error, generating over a million deaths worldwide per year, so such a change might be welcome.
Computers soon to predict driver behaviour 22 photos
Photo: Youtube screenshot/Nissan
Nissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor ShowNissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor Show
Autonomous cars would, in essence, bring the number of road casualties as close to zero as possible. But the biggest hurdle for AVs becoming commonplace is prediction, be it that of unforeseen hazards, weather or rider’s intentions.

There are a great deal of money and resources being poured into making cars capable of predicting various scenarios. But what if those prediction were based on something eerily similar to mind-reading?

Back in March, at the Geneva Motor Show, Nissan presented the IMx Kuro, a concept car powered by four electric motors capable of producing 430 hp and 700 Nm of torque. That is more than the Nissan GT-R.

But that’s not really what caught our eye. Nissan presented on the concept the Brain-to-Vehicle (B2V) system, a tool which uses minute gestures made by humans to determine the future course of action by predicting what it is required to do.

Nissan says the tech is the result of research into using brain decoding technology to predict a driver’s actions and detect discomfort. The system can be used to enhance driver performance and provide real-time personalization of autonomous drive mode and other functions.

FUNCTIONS

There are two main functions currently being studied by Nissan engineers: prediction and detection. The former kicks into action when the car is in manual driving mode, while the latter comes in handy in autonomous driving mode.

Nissan IMx Kuro Concept live at 2018 Geneva Motor Show
Photo: Guido Ten Brink/SB-Medien
In prediction mode, the brain-to-vehicle system will use a set of yet undefined means to identify signs that the driver is about to initiate a movement. If B2V detects the driver is about to turn the steering wheel or push the accelerator pedal, the cars’ computers would send signals to the respective hardware to get it ready for the task and make them respond more promptly.

Nissan hopes that B2V would allow the average Joe to become better at driving, while at the same time allowing highly skilled drivers to outperform themselves.

The detection function is meant to sense when the driver is feeling uneasy while the car is in autonomous mode. Depending on what it picks up, the car will be able to change its driving configuration to better suite the rider’s needs. That includes, for instance, picking the fast lanes on highways.

HOW FAR ARE WE FROM IT

For now, the implementation of this technology is far from becoming reality, especially because of the way in which brain data-collecting is being done. For current tests, Nissan uses a sensor helmet, fitted onto the drivers’ heads.

Nissan says it is currently building special measuring devices and creating specific algorithms to understand the signals recorded via the head-mounted sensors.

Data being recorded includes activity in advance of intentional movement, known in the scientific world as movement-related cortical potential (MRCP) and activity that reveals the variance between what the driver expects and what they are experiencing, known as error-related potentials (ErrP).

Initial data collected by the Japanese automaker already enabled it to perform some tests. According to Nissan, by anticipating intended movement the system can influence how the car behaves and its actions are 0.2 to 0.5 seconds faster than the average human response time.

Additional technologies would not only allow the car to read the driver’s mind, but would also empower humans to effect control over some car systems without using touch or voice.

A future evolution of the technology would allow drivers to configure the instrument panel, for instance, by using eye movements.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories