Australian experts have developed a world-first road safety
system that controls speed based on the driver's level of attention – in an
attempt to combat the growing problem of driver distraction and fatigue.
Commissioned by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) Western
Australia, the cutting-edge technology was developed in collaboration with neuroengineering
company Emotiv, Hyundai Australia, and production company FINCH.
The so-called ‘attention-powered car’ involves a driver-worn
headset that uses 14 sensors to detect electrical activity in the brain, as
well as eye movements and blink rate to assess attention and alertness, as
well as a gyroscope that can sense whether a driver is turning his or her
head away from the road.
The neuro-headset, developed by Emotiv, then communicates with the engine of the
purpose-built Hyundai i40, which subsequently adjusts the car's speed if the driver
is distracted – or stops altogether if they’re completely ‘zoned out’. The car
won’t return to normal until the driver reaches adequate levels of
attention again.
"The fact is, you cannot do more than one thing at
a time usually – you are in fact switching from one to the other," PhD
student of psychology at Murdoch University, Lisa Jefferies, told Wired UK. "And
every time you switch, there's a cost."
The modified Hyundai i40 is currently touring
Western Australia in a bid to promote the new technology.
For more information, visit forthebetter.com.au