Hyundai Motor unveiled a mini electric vehicle in December that uses what it calls Emotion Adaptive Vehicle Control (EAVC) technology to emotionally support young patients at the SJD Barcelona Children’s Hospital in Spain.
It is part of the automaker’s “Little Big e-Motion” project. The EAVC technology monitors facial expressions, heart rate and respiratory rate, adds the data to input from the vehicle (such as speed, acceleration, noise and vibration), processes everything, then uses the data to control its lighting, climate, music and fragrance dispenser.
“EAVC is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology that optimizes vehicle environment(s) based on information from both inside and outside the vehicle,” said Hyundai. “Hyundai Motor Group is leading the development of this next-generation technology, as part of an academic research collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab.”
The vehicle was designed by the same team that oversaw the “45” concept, and will be used to support the treatment of young patients at hospitals — including their mobility from the hospital bed to the treatment room — which Hyundai said is “considered one of the most stressful trips for the children.”
“The EAVC-equipped mini EV interacts with its young ‘driver’ through five key technologies: Facial Emotion Recognition System, Breathing Exercise Belt, Heart Rate Monitoring Sensor, Emotion Adaptive Lighting, and Emotion Adaptive Scent Dispenser,” said Hyundai.
The OEM donated the vehicle to the hospital in Barcelona. A video about the project can be found here.
