Could Cars That Read Minds Save Drivers From Themselves?

by William Diem New York Times, 18 Jul 2005 Pilots log hours in cockpit simulators before they ever take the controls of an airliner, practicing emergency procedures and learning the layout of a plane's instrument panel. Automakers also rely on simulators, though their intent is to study drivers, not train them. In the controlled laboratory setting of a driving simulator, researchers have discovered many things about drivers, including their reluctance to use all of a car's available braking power in a panic stop. Such findings have resulted in electronic systems that sense a panic situation -- by noting how sharply the driver first pushes the brake pedal -- and then continue to apply pressure even if the driver backs off. Read more