A concept car that gets to know its driver and can warn them to calm down or cheer up will be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan on 27 October.
The car, developed by the Toyota Motor Corp and Sony, is designed to quickly "learn" a driver's style, and monitor any deviations. Biometric sensors built into the car's steering mechanism also monitor a driver's pulse and galvanic skin response - sweat level - for signs of agitation.
If they drive too fast or get too close to other vehicles, the car's computer will issue an alert from a display on the dashboard or play calming music.
Toyota Motor Corp says the car, called Pod, can also convey the driver's mood to other drivers or pedestrians, using lights attached to the front and rear.
Different drivers identify themselves to the vehicle using a handheld computer. This communicates wirelessly with the on-board computer system via a radio link to activate the engine and customise the vehicle's suspension and handling. For example, the gear settings would be altered for a high-speed driver.
The car's wireless terminal can also be used to upload new data to Pod's onboard computer, such as new music or a road map for a particular trip.
Sony and Toyota are currently developing ways to allow the car's radio system to communicate with other vehicles on the road. The companies' researchers believe that the technology could be used to alert other drivers before overtaking or to automatically pay road tolls.
Following the success of Sony's artificial robot dog, Aibo, the engineers have been inspired to give Pod a more friendly face. Lights on the front of the car can simulate a smile in order to welcome a driver as they approach.
This is not the first vehicle to communicate with it driver. Researchers at IBM's T. J. Watson facility in New York revealed designs earlier this year for a computer system that sprays water from the dashboard to prevent a driver from falling asleep.
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