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 Chinese researchers have developed what they say is the country's
first car that uses nothing but brain power to drive.
The research team from Nankai University, in the north-eastern
Chinese port city of Tianjin, has spent two years bringing the
mind-controlled vehicle to reality.
By wearing brain signal-reading equipment a driver can control the
car to go forward, backwards, come to a stop, and both lock and
unlock the vehicle, all without moving their hands or feet.
Researcher Zhang Zhao told Reuters the equipment comprises 16
sensors that capture EEG (electroencephalogram) signals from the
driver's brain. They developed a computer program that selects the
relevant signals and translates them, enabling control of the car.
"The tester's EEG signals are picked up by this (brain
signal-reading) equipment and transmitted wirelessly to the
computer. The computer processes the signals to categorize and
recognize people's intention, then translates them into control
command to the car. The core of the whole flow is to process the EEG
signals, which is done on the computer," said Zhang.
Associate Professor Duan Feng, from the university's College of
Computer and Control Engineering, led the project. He emphasized
that the technology is aimed at better serving human beings, and
that it might soon be possible to combine brain controlled
technology and driverless cars, such as the Google Self Driving Car
(SDC).
"Driverless cars' further development can bring more benefits to us,
since we can better realize functions relating to brain controlling
with the help of the driverless cars' platform," said Duan. "In the
end, cars, whether driverless or not, and machines are serving for
people. Under such circumstances, people's intentions must be
recognized. In our project, it makes the cars better serve human
beings."
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Duan said worries about potential road accidents caused by the
driver being distracted while their brain was in control of his
team's car were unfounded, because concentration was needed only
when changing the vehicle's moving status, i.e. changing lanes or
turning. Whether such an application would be enough to persuade
drivers to get behind the wheel and control a car with their mind is
far from certain, though.
The researchers say their initial idea was inspired by helping
disabled people who are physically unable to steer cars.
"There are two starting points of this project. The first one is to
provide a driving method without using hands or feet for the
disabled who are unable to move freely; and secondly, to provide
healthy people with a new and more intellectualized driving mode,"
Zhang said.
At present the vehicle, in collaboration with Chinese car
manufacturer Great Wall Motor, can only drive in a straight
direction, and there are no plans to put it into production.
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