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The British division of Hyundai (http://www.hyundaibook.ru/en), together with a number of partners — Digital Communications, Gravity Thinking, The Alphabet Collective — has made an experimental i20 hatchback with mental control. The system is based on a compact electroencephalogram sensor that sends signals to a computer. The latter “decodes” the picture of brain activity and gives commands to activators.

The purpose of the experiment was not to directly control the steering wheel of the car. The experiment used a special frame with actuators located at the driver’s seat that controlled the accelerator pedals and brakes. The steering wheel adjustment itself was controlled by an engineer in the back seat via a steering wheel extension, with testers with head sensors located up front.

The company released a series of videos called Driven by Optimism, with the main goal being «The latest technology combined with the human spirit challenges everyday life, crossing borders.»

Interesting and not quite ordinary people who dared to throw these challenges — for example, four members of the Atlantic Endeavor team. They want to be the first girls to cross the finals of the famous Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, another of which starts this December. Or father-of-four Mark Alcock, who hasn’t driven in fifteen years due to vision loss.

Their positive thoughts activated the accelerator and the negative brakes. On the test car, several tens of meters were covered, so no steering wheel adjustments were required. This process was very similar to constant concentration and relaxation.

For Hyundai, the experiment is, first of all, good PR. But the work on the project will not go unnoticed in history, along with the electroencephalogram, you can monitor other indicators of the driver — breathing rate, heart rate, direction of gaze, which provides interesting prospects for development. For example, the assistance of electronic systems can be activated in time if the driver is distracted from the road or falls asleep, and even the car can drive completely by itself if a person is sick.

It’s too early to think smart about efficient driving systems, but the first steps in this direction are already impressive. Similar attempts are being made by the Chinese brand Haval, a subsidiary of the great Chinese car manufacturer Great Wall. The famous company McLaren also thought about a direct connection between the human brain and electronics. Similar experiments are being carried out on the Jaguar Land Rover.