Honda Developing A Mind-Reading Bike

[Hugh Janus]

Will Honda’s brainwave detection patent lead to more seamless rider safety systems? (US Patent Office/)

It might sound more science fiction than science fact but Honda has filed a patent showing that it’s working on a brainwave-detection system to help future motorcycles know their riders’ intentions. Why? So that on-board safety systems can ensure the bike does what you want even if your control inputs are clumsy.

The new patent application comes from Honda’s Los Angeles-based R&D Americas facility and aims to improve the way man and motorcycle interact. It might seem futuristic, but in a world where Elon Musk is developing brain-implant ‘neurotechnology’ that gives a direct connection between mind and computer (via his Neuralink company), the idea of a bike that can read your thoughts might not be so far-fetched.

Related: Kawasaki To Employ Radar-Assisted Safety Systems

The brain-machine interface tech would seek to send riders’ brainwaves to the bike’s onboard computer. (US Patent Office/)

The principle of Honda’s idea is simple enough, even if the actual technology involved is at—or even beyond—the current bleeding edge of what’s possible. In short, you wear a helmet with built-in electrodes that can pick up brainwave signals and feed them to a “Brain-Machine Interface” computer that interprets them and then sends them on to your bike.

The motorcycle itself is much the same as any of the latest, rider-aid-packed models. The integrated suite of accelerometers, an inertial measurement unit (computing lean, yaw, and pitch), an electronic throttle, traction control, and computer-controlled ABS brake system is no different than what you’d find on a host of current machines. The only notable addition mentioned in the patent is a sensor measuring steering angle and an actuator to move the steering itself if the computer decides it’s necessary.

The motorcycle portion of the equation would be outfitted with many of the latest electronic rider-assist systems already in use. (US Patent Office/)

Impressive though they are, the latest rider-assist systems are still essentially limited by the fact that they can only react to what they sense, relying on programming to try to interpret the rider’s inputs and deliver what he or she wants. That’s why you still need to pre-select settings for things like traction control and ABS to tell the bike how early you want it to intervene and by how much. By adding sensors that can literally read your mind, the same rider-assist systems have the potential to be much more effective.

A helmet with built-in electrodes would pick up brainwaves and send them to the bike’s onboard computer for interpretation. (US Patent Office/)

Honda actually uses the wheelie as its main example of a rider’s mind control over the bike. After all, we can all picture an impressive wheelie, but even if you know the theory of how to do it, actually pulling one off isn’t straightforward without a lot of practice.

The patents say that the bike could sense inputs, including brainwaves, that “may be indicative of the user’s intent to perform the wheelie” and actually assist you in doing it by taking over control of various aspects of the bike automatically.

Wheelies via mind control? It maybe become a possibility in the near future. (US Patent Office/)

Other passages explain the process: “Once controlled, the throttle may be increased to cross a threshold value and immediately clutches may be pulled to disengage transmission gears. Further, as engine revolution increases, the clutches may be immediately released by a certain amount (e.g., “80%”) while the throttle is controlled. This may pull the front wheel to lift up while the rear wheel stays on the ground…”

Once the computer takes control it can modulate various systems to complete the operation safely. (US Patent Office/)

While a bike that can pull off a perfect wheelie regardless of the rider’s skill might not be an obvious benefit to road safety, and is sure to rile everyone who’s put in the hard hours learning how to do one unaided, there are bigger implications from the system.

Honda’s own Riding Assist and Riding Assist-E concept bikes have shown that the firm is capable of making self-balancing, semi-autonomous motorcycles. By combining that technology with a system that can accurately interpret a rider’s intentions, it should be possible to create a bike that makes up for any deficiencies in the rider’s skill while still doing exactly what he or she wants it to – giving all the pleasure of riding but eliminating many of the risks.

Acting to interpret the rider’s intentions via the ‘brain-machine interface’ team up to offer assistance. (US Patent Office/)

Brainwave-operated control systems are already subject to plenty of military research, with DARPA and others working on methods that could control certain fighter jets systems by thought alone—the sci-fi of “Firefox” brought to the real world—and to create thought-controlled prosthetics for paraplegics and amputees. It might be in the early stages but there’s every indication that direct thought control is going to become increasingly common in future, even on motorcycles.

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[Catteeclan]

Like to see how it works with my misses

[XTreme]

I can't get my head round this shit.......I'll just wait for the analysis from Retro Rog @Lone Amigo

[Pedro]

Rider: "sorry officer, I didn't know I was speeding, speed just creeps up on these straights."

Honda CBR:  "that's a lie, he's a lunatic" 

[Pedro]

I get a kick everytime I see one of these on the road