A futuristic Mercedes allows people to use brainpower

The future of cars starts in the mind.

Mercedes-Benz revealed a new technologically advanced car that can be controlled by someone’s thoughts.

Called Vision AVTR, the car that is still in the developmental stage was put on display earlier this week in Germany at the IAA Mobility 2021 event.

It runs on electricity and your brain using a technological interface called Brain Computer Interface (BCI).

Despite the ability to use brainpower, the interface isn’t meant to drive the car.

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Mercedes hopes that drivers will use BCI technology to control the radio show channels or change the lights’ color inside the car by thinking about it.

“BCI technology works completely independently of speech and touch. This opens up revolutionary possibilities for intuitive interaction with the vehicle,” said Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG, in a press release.

For the BCI system to be effective, the driver has to wear a helmet with a wearable electrode attached to the back of their head, which gives the vibe of a virtual reality headset.

The electrodes and helmets record brain activity for “a one-minute calibration” before the driver is connected to the car.

The car will then project dots of light onto the digital dashboard, causing the driver’s brain to react to the visual stimulation, which the head device would ultimately measure.

A timeframe of when this technology will become available in the vehicles has not been released. It is still in the developmental process to ensure safety before it hits the market.

IAA Mobility is an event that showcases significant mobility developments of the future.

It was open to the public on Tuesday and will run through September 12.