We will soon be able to drive cars that will know if we’ve had a rough day or a car that can tell if we’re about to fall asleep behind the wheel. That’s the premise of a new technology being developed by scientist Peter Robinson at the University of Cambridge. Though the idea seems rather far-fetched, it seems that a Japanese automaker has been in contact with the professor with plans to introduce this technology into their future models.

Such features include a system that reacts according to the driver’s mood. For example, if the driver is feeling sleepy, a camera built-in to the dashboard would pick this up and ring a warning bell. Or if the driver was in a bad mood, the car could sense their feeling and react by playing some ambient sounds. Toyota is just one manufacturer that is serious about introducing such technologies. Their prototype Pod car would change colour based on how you feel.

Another interesting concept is a car that displays the driver’s mood externally. For example, if the driver’s angry because someone cut them off, the car’s lights can angle upwards to form an angry face while the front of the car gives off a red glow to complete the menacing look. The technology is at least five years away but in terms of a safety aspect we’re sure we’ll see this in cars in the not too distant future.

[Source: TechnoRide]

Click here to see more images of Toyota's crazy Pod car.

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