A team of scientists in Germany have created a car that operates based on the driver's thought patterns. The car was programmed to recognize specific brain patterns as “turn left” or “turn right.” The first test run of the car only included turning capabilities, but later iterations also included pattern recognition for acceleration and deceleration. There was some delay between the driver’s mental command and the car’s execution.
In addition to the mental controls, the car is also outfitted with cameras and infrared sensors which would likely detect if the car is drifting from the center of the lane. It is also equipped with a GPS antenna to provide pinpoint navigation.
Test runs were performed at an airport with a lot of open space. The article did not specify if the airport had been closed down or if it was functioning at the time of the test.
This brings to mind (pardon the pun) drivers who pay little attention to their actions while operating their vehicles. Most drivers today tend to multitask in some way while driving, whether it be eating food, talking on the phone, or just listening to music. But none of that would be possible if a single errant thought pattern could send car and driver careening over the side of a bridge.
Despite the advances in technology, like cars controlled by camera sensors and thought patterns, it seems like the human race is not ready. In order for this type of technology to be plausible, we must first change ourselves before we change the car.
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