Toyota demonstrates electric wheelchair controlled by the mind

While it may not be strictly car news, we just couldn't resist writing this story up about Toyota’s new 'Brain Machine Interface' technology. While it may sound like something out of the Terminator movies at first, the technology is an amazing step forward and could have huge implications for almost any product on the market right now.

Hot on the heels of Honda’s own version of the technology, which we reported on earlier, Toyota’s new system allows a person to steer an electric wheelchair through simple thought, using a helmet-like device that measures their brain waves.

The special helmet uses electrodes that attach to the scalp and measure localised brain activity when a user concentrates on certain physical movements. The signals are displayed on a panel in almost real time and can be translated into instructions to steer the motorised wheelchair.

Toyota sees such systems allowing elderly and handicapped people to interact with the world through signals from their brains without having to give voice commands, and initially it is expected to be used in field of rehabilitation, and for physical and psychological support of wheelchair drivers.

Researchers insist the system is 95% accurate and is flexible enough to adjust to the characteristics of individual users, however, no release dates or possible production schedules have been announced. We suggest you don’t hold your breath waiting for Toyota to release a car you control with your mind anytime soon.