Motorists who control cars with their minds drive more safely

Neural Engineering, allows germans to control cars

io9.com

According to data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, August is the most dangerous month of the year to be a U.S. motorist. But here's some promising news for the future: researchers have created a device that allows people to control their brakes just by thinking about it. In The Journal of Neural Engineering, scientists offer evidence that "mind-reading" technologies can help you slam on the brakes at the speed of thought, and avoid accidents.

German researchers at the Berlin Institute of Technology have developed a mind-reading system that can use electri

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what a genius idea! okay, its not complete control of the car just yet, but you will one day be able to emergency stop your car, just by thinking it!

Great idea. Only flaw? One STILL needs to pay attention to the road!

www.youtube.com...

enjoy



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reply to post by Welshextremist

stop your car, just by thinking it

I can't see any problems with that. The idea is flawless.

We are much further along with cars just driving themselves. The "autodriver" tech will become a standard feature, while this neural interface is unlikley to.

This neural interface technology will have other useful applications, especially military though.

reply to post by MikeboydUS


yeah i agree, especially in situation, where every second is precious

imagine stopping a tank centimetres away from a mine

or a humvee right next to an ied, this could definetely save lives

reply to post by Welshextremist


Don't forget that Kit from Knight Rider was his partner's disembodied spirit (or something like that). Heck, maybe that will be the new retirement plan for old folks. Turn them into cars!

this is just the early steps in eventually installing some kind of chips inside your body..

The singularity approaches.

A lot of money is also being put into A.I. auto traffic systems,where human control is removed completely
No need for a brain interface then-or insurance!!!

But I like being in control of my own car.
I do not wish to hand over even more of my brain power to computers thank you.
When you do that,your brain atrophies IMO.
Remember pre mobile phone days?
How many phone numbers did you know in your head?
And how many now,in the mobile/cell phone age?
If its less,like me-
That's because that part of your brain has atrophied my friend-as its no longer needed.

See what I mean?

Where does this technology come from and what other uses it is being used for? Being able to control an inanimate object with your mind sounds an awful lot like sci-fi or fantasy magical realms. I wonder what the military has done with this technology...

What about people with OCD? You're going to have people stopping every four meters because they really feel they need to.

Really though, do not want! Cars that drive themselves, sure, but I certainly don't trust the human brain to be disciplined enough to undertake a task of this magnitude. I mean, if you're thinking about fast food, you might just verge across every lane of traffic going the wrong way to reach Maccie D's.

Originally posted by invetro
I mean, if you're thinking about fast food, you might just verge across every lane of traffic going the wrong way to reach Maccie D's.

Or if you are like me speed away from McDodgy to a nice organic outlet instead.
They already have robots working there you know.

Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. If ALL cars are not controlled in the same way, it's going to INCREASE the number of accidents.

Imagine the person is driving along a busy highway, and gets startled by something. Normally they may enter panic mode for a second but not necessarily slam on their brakes -- their learning will kick in and react to the situation and try to take the best course of action (or maybe no action in some situations.) But in how many of these situations will the "magical braking system" engage? How about the cars behind them? If they don't have the braking system, and aren't paying attention, BAM. Deadly crash caused by nothing other than this stupid, stupid idea for a device.

reply to post by Welshextremist


I could see this being just as harmful as it is beneficial. Imagine that your mind-driving down the road, and some guy cuts you off or something. What if when you get pissed off for that split second, the car reacts to your mind, and rams him off the road or something?

Actually the thing just works for brakes, but I have no doubt that if this becomes mainstream, more and more features will become mind-controlled, and some crazy cyborg automobile road rage could be right around the corner.

reply to post by Observer99


Exactly Observer99-Think of the dreaded blue screen,or a network failure on an automated system-Ok they will have redundant back ups but they do fail over time.

I'll stick to my own reactions,driving knowledge and a well maintained manual(!) car to avoid a collision thank you-
I have never had an endorsement/speeding ticket/parking fine in over 20 years of driving,and I always try to find new ways to improve my road skills and awareness.
I am not the perfect driver,but one who want's to be the best I can be,willing to learn and change behaviour if need be.
I am motivated to be a good driver for my life depends upon it.

I do not believe there is yet a computer system which is as reliable as I am so far,in terms of driving.
But there will be soon.
Its not far off when Humans will have the pleasure and skill of driving taken from them by the machines.
Sounds crazy,but watch this space friends.

Using thoughts to control any sort of machinery is not a good idea, at least not on an elementary level.

I am sure I am not being alone here when I say I think of many things when I'm driving, or at any time really, so for instance I might have a thought about sabotaging the passenger seatbelt, then slamming on the breaks, so that the passenger goes flying into the windshield. Just because I have a stupid thought like that doesn't mean I'm actually going to do it - but too late? The car has made me do it already?

What I am saying is that if people want to control anything with their minds, they must first learn to control their minds.

considering the number of accidents and fatalities involving texting.

i really see mind control working out so well.

And guess who will be lovingly monitoring our thought to car interface?
The government with yet another database!
Great!

Of course by that time the authorities will already have complete access to everyone's brain activity,and if you decide to think about anything naughty-they will know in real time,and will administer a chemical neurotoxin.

Even if you only dreamed of punching that traffic warden,the dose is administered,and you wake up in agony convulsing on the floor.

By that time you don't care if computers control your car anymore.

I'm no neuro scientist, so the following is purely speculation. With that in mind, I would think that there would be some kind of difference between the brain activity that action stimulates and the kind of brain activity that thought stimulates, and that the EEG reader would be able to distinguish the two, so the brakes don't engage until your brain sends the "OH SH*T MOVE" signal, leaving you free and safe to think violent, terrible thoughts to your mind's content.

Originally posted by invetro
What about people with OCD? You're going to have people stopping every four meters because they really feel they need to.

Really though, do not want! Cars that drive themselves, sure, but I certainly don't trust the human brain to be disciplined enough to undertake a task of this magnitude. I mean, if you're thinking about fast food, you might just verge across every lane of traffic going the wrong way to reach Maccie D's.

Whether or not they die crossing every lane of traffic going to McDonalds or not... they are still gonna die even if they make it there. Have you read what they put in that crap?!

reply to post by Cuervo


I did write Macdonalds as a joke. I am well aware of what's in their food. I just see someone mentally driving their car through traffic jams without stopping just because they're hungry as more of a plausible outcome than people braking when they need to.