Computers reading your emotions...in your car.

Have you ever seen those Hollywood movies where the car has the ability to talk to the driver like a real person? Well Design Interactive has put their heads together with VRSonic to create an Affective Virtual Environment Training System also called "A-VETS". A-VETS use "noninvasive" methods of calculating a person’s emotional response in real time. Volvo already deploys heartbeat sensors for detecting abnormal heartbeat patterns. If a driver had a sudden influx in their heart rate like deer running out in front of the car or someone is trying to break into the car while the driver is in the car. Taking the future car a step further is Ferrari with their "mind-reading" car. The cockpit sensors for Ferrari will use psychometric and biometric technology to read a driver's heart rate, blood pressure, brain activity, and blood pressure. This feature will give the car the ability to measure the drivers fatigue level as well as measuring the driver’s reactions in critical moments like right before a crash.
There is still a major concern: Is this an invasion of privacy?
In many ways I believe it is an invasion of privacy but I think it is still too early to say. What would it mean for one of these systems if they were hacked? What sort of personal data would become public knowledge?  On the other hand, with the information the "smart car" could provide, car developers and doctors may be able to learn the reactions of the average human and develop a new car seat or seat belt that could save millions of lives in the future. What do you think: An invasion or advancement in car security?

PCmag.com