Honda’s future motorcycles could be able to sense our emotions?

- Honda has filed a patent named as ‘Emotion inference device and emotion inference system’

- It shows an eco-system needed to be created to develop emotion-sensing motorcycles

- Involves our home appliances and gadgets judging our mood by our actions

Our mood and mental state control our actions and, quite often, our riding style as well. It’s a common phenomenon that we go flat out when angry and ply with ease when happy and cheerful. While the latter wouldn’t be harmful to anyone, the former scenario is likely to put you and the fellow motorists on the road in danger. Now, what if the motorcycles in the future are smart enough to sence your mental state and alter its characteristics accordingly? 

As unrealistic as it may sound, Honda has filed a patent which clearly reveals that the brand is studying such a system. Named as ‘Emotion inference device and emotion inference system’, the patent elaborates a system which involves infusing a computerized personality within the motorcycles. Internet-connected home appliances such as lights and refrigerators have already become a reality. Now, implementing a similar mechanism within the motorcycles and connecting it with the home appliances sounds doable. 

The idea of Honda’s emotion-sensing bike is simple. The in-house connected devices will sense your mood through your behavior and transfer the information to the motorcycle. For instance, the refrigerator might perceive that you’re angry by the intensity with which you close its door. Or, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant would be able to judge your current mood by the tone of your voice. This could be followed by the devices sending signal to the bike which, in response, will tweak the brakes, suspension and throttle response settings in order to make the ride safer. 

Besides anger, other emotions the device may be able to judge is tiredness, sadness etc. What sounds like a fictitious concept at present might transform into a reality, looking at the pace with which technology is evolving. Also, Honda’s patent only consists of a diagrammatic representation of this concept signifying it is at a nascent stage for now. Until it is available for us, let’s just keep our emotions in check when on the road. Ride safe!

Source – Bennetts