Look: This Mercedes-Benz car at Gitex 2021 can read your mind

Dubai - The vehicle boasts all the latest bells and whistles

By SM Ayaz Zakir

Published: Tue 19 Oct 2021, 2:43 PM

Last updated: Tue 19 Oct 2021, 2:47 PM

A car that can read your mind? No, we’re not out of our mind here.

A German car major has gone ahead and done just that — it has made a full-on metal and nuts and bolts machine that can literally read your mind and follow its instructions.

Mercedes-Benz is showcasing the mind-boggling concept car called Vision Avtr at the Etisalat pavilion at Gitex 2021.

The car is equipped with technology that allows you to perform certain tasks just by thinking about them. All the driver does is wear a mind-control device — a head band that will read simulations in the driver’s mind.

“The technology is based on visual-perception and the car has a digital dashboard. The BCI (brain-computer interface) device, like a head band, will be worn on the users head,” said technician Frank Weimer from Mercedes-Benz AG.

He added: "By recording the brain simulation, the device can record and measure brain activity. When a user focuses on a specific light on the dashboard, the device can detect that and perform a certain task."

And if you're eager to get your hands around the steering wheel, here's the catch — the car doesn't have one.

Instead, between the front seats is a central control pad — the brains of the car — that helps move the vehicle.

“This device is the heart of the car. To turn the vehicle, the device is rotated and to accelerate the car, one has to push the device. Similarly, for braking and stopping, the device is pushed backwards,” Weimer said.

The Mercedes-Benz Vision Avtr is quite the star of the show at Gitex, and has been pulling in hundreds of visitors for a glimpse. Inspired by the cult movie Avatar, the vehicle boasts all the latest bells and whistles, including — of course — the ability to control it with your mind.

The concept car comes embedded with 33 ‘bionic flaps’ to mirror the scales of a reptile. This helps in acceleration, braking and turning, said Weimer.

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“These scales are inspired by the animals in the movie ‘Avatar’. It has many practical functions, but suffice to say it takes the oomph factor of the car to a different level. The car is designed to give out a message to people to live in harmony with the nature," he said.

The car’s interior, design and operation is also eco-friendly.

“The seats are made out of recycled materials extracted from the ocean,” said Weimer, adding that it completely runs on electricity.

If you are pulling out your cheque book, wait for a moment. Weimer said that the car won’t be in the market any time soon, but it sure has shown us what the future of mobility is gonna look like. The UAE is the third country where the futuristic car has been showcased.

ayaz@khaleejtimes.com