Is there a twist in autonomous driving technology, already?
Well ... sort of.
Reuters is reporting that Chinese researchers have developed a car that's strictly powered by the human brain and nothing else.
The news agency says that Nankai University researchers have spent two years developing the mind-controlled car, which is powered by brain signals.
In the accompanying Reuters video, a driver — wearing a brain signal-reading headset of sorts and sitting in the backseat of an SUV — is able to move the vehicle forward, backwards, unlock and lock it, and come to a full stop by only using his thoughts. However, there weren't any mentions about the car being able to successfully turn.
The head equipment boasts 16 sensors, which Reuters says capture the brain's electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. Those signals then work in conjunction with a developed computer program to translate the orders and control the car.
Nankai University associate professor Duan Feng, who led the project, says the technology could aid Google's self-driving car and autonomous technology in the automotive space, altogether, and vice versa.
"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," Feng told Reuters. "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."
That being said, there are plenty of lingering questions for the mind-controlled car concept. In particular, what if the brain gets distracted with thoughts? How would that common occurrence on the road throw the vehicle's controls off? That and how quickly would the brain-powered car be able to adjust to what other drivers inexplicably do on the road.
Reuters says the concept is being further developed in collaboration with China's Great Wall Motor automaker, but currently has no plan to be put into production.
