Nissan has unveiled research that will enable vehicles to interpret signals from the driver’s brain, redefining how people interact with their cars.

The company’s Brain-to-Vehicle, or B2V, technology promises to speed up reaction times for drivers, leading to adaptable cars that will make the driving experience more pleasurable.

Nissan will be demonstrating capabilities of this exclusive technology at the CES 2018 trade show in Las Vegas this week. It involves a driver wearing a device that measures brain wave activity, which is then analysed by autonomous systems. By anticipating intended movement, the systems can take actions – such as turning the steering wheel or slowing the car – 0.2 to 0.5 seconds faster than the driver, while remaining largely imperceptible.

“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,” said Nissan Executive Vice President Daniele Schillaci. “Through Nissan Intelligent Mobility, we are moving people to a better world by delivering more autonomy, more electrification and more connectivity.”

This latest announcement from Nissan is the result of research into using brain decoding technology to predict a driver’s actions and detect discomfort.

By predicting signs that the driver’s brain is about to initiate a movement – such as turning the steering wheel or pushing the accelerator pedal – driver assist technologies can begin the action more quickly. This can improve reaction times and enhance manual driving.

What’s more, by detecting and evaluating driver discomfort, artificial intelligence can change the driving configuration or driving style when in autonomous mode.

“The potential applications of the technology are incredible,” said Dr. Lucian Gheorghe, senior innovation researcher at the Nissan Research Center in Japan. “This research will be a catalyst for more Nissan innovation inside our vehicles in the years to come.”