Honda's non-invasive headgear that reads electric currents and blood flow. (Koji Sasahara / AP)
Another space-age driving development
Honda Motor Co. has developed a way to read patterns of electric currents on a person's scalp as well as changes in cerebral blood flow when a person thinks about four simple movements -- moving the right hand, moving the left hand, running and eating. Honda succeeded in analyzing such thought patterns, and then relaying them as wireless commands to a human-shaped robot. The technology is still at a basic research stage with no immediate practical applications in the works, but Yasuhisa Arai, an executive on the program, didn't rule out the possibility of a car that may some day drive itself -- even without a steering wheel.
--Associated Press
Porsche wants to up stake in Volkswagen
Keeping up with all the auto mergers, acquisitions and integrations? Well, here's one more. Porsche has announced it's moving toward creating an "integrated" carmaker with fellow German automaker Volkswagen, but emphasized that the high-end sports car company would retain its independence. Porsche is currently Volkswagen's largest shareholder with 51 percent and has said it wants to raise that stake to 75 percent -- but that goal probably wouldn't be possible this year given the state of the global economy.
--Associated Press