CES 2018: Nissan plotting mind-controlled car

Imagine using only your thoughts to unlock your car, set the air-conditioning just so and select your favourite music before you even get in?

Or how about just thinking about a destination to set the satellite-navigation, or even avoiding accidents simply by wishing up an escape plan?

Well, this isn't some MK Ultra mind control conspiracy or a scene from iconic sci-fi movie Blade Runner any more folks, because Nissan just announced it has developed the world's first brain-scanning car interface.

The system probes and analyses human (and possibly feline) brainwaves – aka electric impulses – then turns them into vehicle actions in the real-world.

In other words, the next-gen R36 twin-turbo Nissan GT-R could be more cerebral than ever.

OK, so you'll have to wear a silly looking skull-cap until some sort of USB port or microchip can be surgically embedded in your skull or forearm, but Nissan says the system is already effective at reading human thoughts.

Dubbed B2V (brain-to-vehicle) interfacing, Nissan says it can already anticipate a driver’s intentions, allowing a car's autonomous functionality to "take actions – such as turning the steering wheel or slowing the car".

And the kicker? It's 0.2 to 0.5 seconds "faster than the driver, while remaining largely imperceptible" says Nissan.

Nissan's executive vice president, Daniele Schillaci, said the new technology will change the way people think about self-driving cars.

"When most people think about autonomous driving, they have a very impersonal vision of the future, where humans relinquish control to the machines. Yet B2V technology does the opposite, by using signals from their own brain to make the drive even more exciting and enjoyable."

The Japanese company will show off the technology at this month’s 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The CES is the world's largest nerd and tech convention and has slowly become a must-attend event for car-makers, which are finding increasing competition from Silicon Valley.

Autonomous car and in-car infotainment technology are the two major battlegrounds between traditional car companies and powerful tech conglomerates such as NVidia, Intel, Google and Apple, which are injecting huge amounts of capital into automotive solutions at present.

Nissan's breakthrough technology will be showcased on a driving simulator during CES and the Japanese car-maker says its B2V interface will improve autonomous vehicle effectiveness and make driving more enjoyable.

In future, it may also allow Nissan to interpret your subconscious, your dreams and desires, then target you with bizarrely effective advertising in the future.

Data collection from vehicles -- autonomous and otherwise -- is shaping up to become the new gold mine that automotive and tech companies are keen to pillage and profit from.

Dr Lucian Gheorghe, a senior researcher in charge of the B2V project at the Nissan's R&D centre in Japan, reckons augmented reality could also be used to relax the driver. No more road rage? You beauty!

"The potential applications of the technology are incredible," stated Gheorghe. "This research will be a catalyst for more Nissan innovation inside our vehicles in the years to come."

This technology could completely reshape the automotive landscape and, for now at least, Nissan appears to be ahead of the curve.

Stay tuned for our live coverage direct from the 2018 CES, which kicks off next Monday (January 8).