Future Ferrari Models May Read Minds

A huge percentage of car buyers base their decisions around safety: how well a vehicle is equipped to protect themselves and their families. Volvo and Mercedes have made themselves synonymous with advanced safety features, but new Ferrari models may blow old innovations out of the water. Recent reports have surfaced that Ferrari engineers are designing a feature never before seen in any sort of car: the ability to read minds. Less like an episode of X-Files than it may sound, this technology will simply gage whether or not a driver is rested and alert enough to drive. Because fatigue and intoxication cause so many accidents every year, if these reports come to fruition, it could lead to the safest generation of vehicles and drivers ever seen.

The new technology is far from complete, but it will work through a series of sensors judging brain activity, respiration, and heart rate, as well as a video camera to monitor eye patterns and blink rate. Mercedes has a “nanny” feature that vibrates the seat if the car thinks you’re too tired to drive, but the features that may eventually appear in Ferrari models go well beyond that. With so many monitoring systems, this technology will be the most active safety development ever created for cars. If successful, these features may get implemented into other cars and brands. For people who truly value safety, or just want to protect their expensive Ferrari from an avoidable crash, they should continue following this technology as it develops.