Lexus’ RCF Senses Heartbeats

It is almost like a dream come true to have cutting edge technology understand human emotions and feelings. Artificial intelligence is advancing at the speed of light and computers are now at the stage where it is on par, if not smarter then us, the creators.  MAKO loves to see incredible advancements across multiple industries that revolutionize the way humans interact with technology. Recently, the luxury car brand Lexus has created a concept car known as the RCF show casing its ability to sense the driver’s heartbeat and reflect electroluminescent paint accordingly. The idea is to create a deeper connection between the driver and their car. The prototype designers created the concept to visualize the emotional and physical qualities during user experience.

The electroluminescent paint in the car is linked to a device worn by the driver. The embedded sensors within the device collects data from the user’s pulse, then translates them on to the body panels that are wired onto the car.

As the driver experiences different levels of adrenaline, the car calculates pulse and lights up a pattern to match heart rate. Lexus believes that this will be a step closer towards expressing human emotions with technology. The prototype designers have done experiments to show how the human heartbeat is affected by the driving experience. With this type of experiment, engineers hope to create a modification system allowing cars to react to the user’s state of mind, such as feeling sleepy or being under the influence of drugs.

When the car is stopped and not in use, the phosphorescent paint is hidden, and the car will return to its standard finish. This effect is currently used for experimental purposes and there seems to be no plan for Lexus to add this to future vehicles. MAKO loves that innovative automobile companies are putting different types of user centered ideas into test. We look forward to seeing how Lexus’ technology will impact the automotive industry.

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!