Researchers Have Made A Car You Can Control With Nothing But Brain Power

A team of researchers in China have built a system that picks up EEG signals from a driver's brain, allowing them to move a car without touching a thing
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The original idea behind this fascinating project - the work of a team of researchers in Tianjin - was to create a system that would allow disabled people to drive cars. It uses 16 sensors to pick up EEG (electroencephalogram) signals emitted by the brain, which are then ‘translated’ by a computer programme into movement orders.

Beyond the question of mobility for disabled people, it’s also being billed as something you’d combine with autonomous driving, rather than a system that could eventually give you outright control. That’s why distraction wouldn’t be an issue: you’d only be ‘sending’ the car commands to do things like set off, change lanes or turn off a road.

The technology is still quite limited, too: this prototype version - built into a Great Wall Haval (nope, me neither) - is only capable of moving forwards, backwards, or coming to a stop. Oh, and you can lock and unlock it with your mind too, if you wish.

Source: Reuters via World Car Fans

Comments

GalantEvo

Okay. I’ll be honest here, this is awesome. It’s cool that we humans are able to do this. But what if you have a bit of road rage, and think: “I’ll ram him off the road!”, and the car actually does it? I can’t see this working properly.

12/10/2015 - 15:04 |
27 | 0

I dont think the car would understand and react to these thoughts xDDDD

12/10/2015 - 15:23 |
4 | 0
Fad Hill

I’m like “Cmon. Drift it like I’m Takumi Fujiwara”. *proceeds to wrap around a tree

12/10/2015 - 15:54 |
23 | 0

Do a gutter run!

12/10/2015 - 16:32 |
7 | 0

Lmao

12/10/2015 - 16:55 |
0 | 0
E30_Tdog

..

12/10/2015 - 17:02 |
3 | 1
Antiprius

But what if you think about this?

12/10/2015 - 17:26 |
3 | 2
Anonymous

…it’d stop stupid drivers at least.

The ones so dump that they can’t actually control the car.

12/10/2015 - 17:32 |
1 | 0
Anonymous

Some things are best done by action. Imagine the effort it would take to parallel park in multi story building without hitting anything.

12/10/2015 - 17:43 |
1 | 0
Anonymous

This seems like a really bad idea, what happens when you see your dream car going the other way? I don’t know about you guys but I usually turn and stare as it goes by. Does this mean that the car will suddenly try and do a u - turn?

12/10/2015 - 17:46 |
1 | 1
Anonymous

What are the things the “driver” has to do in order to give inputs? Think about something? Do something? (like contracting a specific muscle?) How does the “driver” create the signals received by that system?

12/10/2015 - 18:02 |
1 | 0
Velstyde

i wish you could actually just think of the car as your body and the car would move as you imagined

12/10/2015 - 18:03 |
2 | 0

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