“Brain Age” Doctor and Toyota to Develop Cars for Seniors

Let’s face it: whenever most people see a senior citizen behind the wheel of a car, their thoughts usually turn to fear or anger that they’re driving rather strangely. Well, who better to alleviate that problem a little than the same man behind the popular “Brain Age” games? Prof. Ryuta Kawashima has announced that he is teaming up with Toyota to develop cars specifically to help seniors with their driving.

Right now, Toyota representatives are attending some of his study group sessions to hear all his ideas in detail. One idea Kawashima has expressed is a car that monitors driving patterns and adjust itself to curb dangerous behavior, such as slowing down if the driver seems to be pressing the gas pedal for no reason. Other ideas include cars with built-in navigation systems and automatic temperature controls to keep the driver alert.

“We envision future cars will be able to monitor brain and emotional activity to back up elderly drivers,” said Kawashima, a Tohoku University scientist who worked on Nintendo Co.’s best-selling “Brain Age” games – and whose smiling image is the guide in the series…”Ultimately, we hope to develop cars that stimulate brain activity, so that driving itself becomes a form of brain training.”

Hopefully he takes a different approach to stimulating brain activity in his cars than in his games. Having senior citizens solve simple math problems and matching games while trying to drive might just make things much worse.

Via Wired