Jaguar Land Rover’s been on a high-tech tear lately, coming up with projects and concepts that showcase the potential capabilities of the vehicles of the near future. And the automaker’s latest sounds like cinematic sci-fi: Jaguar Mind Sense, a car that monitors the driver’s brain waves to detect distraction, and features dashboard buttons that you can operate without ever physically touching them.
As Jaguar researchers explain, the human brain generates one of four types of dominant waves depending on the state of mental activity; a person’s brainwaves can indicate whether he or she is alert, daydreaming, sleepy, or distracted. In medical settings, these brainwaves are monitored using sensors placed directly on the patient’s head, but Jaguar researchers are investigating steering wheel-mounted sensors that can distinguish brainwave activity from the background electrical impulses of the rest of the nervous system.
“If brain activity indicates a daydream or poor concentration, then the steering wheel or pedals could vibrate to raise the driver’s awareness and re-engage them with driving,” says Dr. Wolfgang Epple, JLR Director of Research and Technology. “If Mind Sense does not detect a surge in brain activity following the car displaying a warning icon or sound, then it could display it again, or communicate with the driver in a different way, to ensure the driver is made aware of a potential hazard.”
The system could also use seat-mounted sensors to detect heart rate and breathing frequency. The collected information, Jaguar says, could be used to detect sudden illness that could incapacitate the driver, allowing autonomous driving features to take over if the driver is unable to remain in control. Stress sensors could tweak mood lighting, audio settings, and climate control to soothe an agitated driver.
In addition, Jaguar is investigating ways to combat the distraction of in-dash infotainment systems by reducing the amount of time a driver must spend looking at a touchscreen. The automaker is experimenting with predictive technology that uses tiny cameras in the car’s interior to predict where a driver’s finger is headed, activating the intended button or touchscreen region before the driver touches it. Further, Jaguar researchers propose ultrasonic response systems that give a driver’s finger the sensation of having “pushed” a button in midair. “As touch provides an immediate response to the brain, there will be no need for the driver to glance at the screen for visual confirmation which would help keep their gaze on the road ahead,” Jaguar says.
The company claims that user trials of the predictive technology allowed drivers to successfully hit the intended button 22 percent faster than conventional designs, a major improvement when it comes to the amount of time spent looking away from the road.
Of course, this is still highly experimental technology; Jaguar hasn’t presented any sort of time frame, and it’s still largely theoretical as to whether such advances could find their way into the cars of the near future. But with driver distraction becoming an increasingly prevalent problem on the road, maybe this type of sci-fi–inspired thinking could help keep drivers out of trouble.
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