Toyota turns to Brain Age professor to help elderly drivers
12-20-07, 10:31 AM
#1
G35x - RWD/AWD goodness
Thread Starter
Toyota turns to Brain Age professor to help elderly drivers
Toyota's already taken a number of measures to improve the driving of the general population, but it now looks to be taking specific aim at elderly drivers, and it's enlisted the help of a familiar, polygonal face in its efforts. As the AFP reports, Professor Ryuta Kawashima of Brain Age fame is beginning a study in conjunction with Toyota with the goal of creating a vehicle that keeps elderly drivers alert while their driving, which they say could be put into use sometime between 2015 and 2020. That vehicle will apparently be equipped with various devices that "watch the driver's brain activity, automatic nerve reflexes, attentiveness and other mental and physical conditions," according to Kawashima, with it able alert drivers at the slightest sign of danger (not unlike similar systems we've seen aimed at sleepy drivers). We'll just have to wait and see if that'll also involve having drivers shout "red, blue, blue!" at stop lights or not.
12-20-07, 02:58 PM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
Why not just give elderly drivers yearly or bi-yearly driving tests to see if their skills deteriorate to the point that they shouldn't be driving?
IMO, it is not Toyota's job (or the job of any other auto manufacturer) to be installing Electro-Nanny devices to try and keep Grandpa awake if Grandpa shouldn't be behind the wheel any more to start with. That's a job for state licensing agancies...not auto engineers. Those who cannot drive safely because of poor skills or lethargy should no longer be driving at all.
We already see too much of this kind of stuff with devices like Infiniti's Lane-Departure buzzers, Mercedes' Radar-Adaptive Cruise Control systems (some actually brake the car to a stop automatically), Cadillac's Infra-Red night sensors, Volvo's Electronic Blind-spot cameras, etc....
My philosophy is LOOK AT THE ROAD, PAY ATTENTION, and DRIVE. If you can't do that, hang the keys up.
IMO, it is not Toyota's job (or the job of any other auto manufacturer) to be installing Electro-Nanny devices to try and keep Grandpa awake if Grandpa shouldn't be behind the wheel any more to start with. That's a job for state licensing agancies...not auto engineers. Those who cannot drive safely because of poor skills or lethargy should no longer be driving at all.
We already see too much of this kind of stuff with devices like Infiniti's Lane-Departure buzzers, Mercedes' Radar-Adaptive Cruise Control systems (some actually brake the car to a stop automatically), Cadillac's Infra-Red night sensors, Volvo's Electronic Blind-spot cameras, etc....
My philosophy is LOOK AT THE ROAD, PAY ATTENTION, and DRIVE. If you can't do that, hang the keys up.
Last edited by mmarshall; 12-20-07 at 03:24 PM.
12-20-07, 03:44 PM
#3
Lexus Test Driver
For a business to dismiss the increasing elderly population as non-viable customers would be a HUGE mistake.
As people live longer and longer with increased awareness in health and advances in medical sciences, I think Toyota's on the right track in providing driver-aid to elderly customers. I'm sure given that they've gone into partnership with a guy who knows how the brain works, these studies could help in making sure that the elderly pay attention and look at the road.
Just because they're thinking about driver-aid systems, it doesn't mean they're going to dumbing down the people behind the wheel to let machines do basic things required to drive cars.
As people live longer and longer with increased awareness in health and advances in medical sciences, I think Toyota's on the right track in providing driver-aid to elderly customers. I'm sure given that they've gone into partnership with a guy who knows how the brain works, these studies could help in making sure that the elderly pay attention and look at the road.
Just because they're thinking about driver-aid systems, it doesn't mean they're going to dumbing down the people behind the wheel to let machines do basic things required to drive cars.
12-20-07, 05:16 PM
#5
Lexus Fanatic
For a business to dismiss the increasing elderly population as non-viable customers would be a HUGE mistake.
As people live longer and longer with increased awareness in health and advances in medical sciences, I think Toyota's on the right track in providing driver-aid to elderly customers. I'm sure given that they've gone into partnership with a guy who knows how the brain works, these studies could help in making sure that the elderly pay attention and look at the road.
Just because they're thinking about driver-aid systems, it doesn't mean they're going to dumbing down the people behind the wheel to let machines do basic things required to drive cars.
As people live longer and longer with increased awareness in health and advances in medical sciences, I think Toyota's on the right track in providing driver-aid to elderly customers. I'm sure given that they've gone into partnership with a guy who knows how the brain works, these studies could help in making sure that the elderly pay attention and look at the road.
Just because they're thinking about driver-aid systems, it doesn't mean they're going to dumbing down the people behind the wheel to let machines do basic things required to drive cars.
Don't get me wrong, guys. I'm not just trying to dump on Grandpa and Grandma for nothing, or get into age discrimination....but I am a realist. I've seen, both as a driver and as a pilot, what can happen when people try to drive or fly when it is no longer feasible. It is much harder to do so as a pilot, of course, because aviation licensing is MUCH stricter than automobile licensing. That is why the FAA mandates airline pilots and controllers retiring at age 60.....that's the law, with no excuses, no exceptions, except for rare waivers.
Last edited by mmarshall; 12-20-07 at 05:23 PM.
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