Using a special helmet, the Prius X Parlee (PXP) can shift gears when you think about, well, shifting gears. And this futuristic tech may be between your legs and one the open road in production form in 2013, according to new reports. As Parlee puts it, “the PXP concept bike … blends the simple with the complex to become a better and more efficient version of itself.” Aside from reading brainwaves, the PXP can use a smartphone to show the driver how efficiently the engine (i.e., the body) is operating, just like the Prius’ info screen does. The bike can also remember past behavior and, for example, downshift the next time you ride past a place where you downshifted before.
Patrick Miller, who worked with Deeplocal on the electronic part of the bike, told the Christian Science Monitor that: “This was purely a prototype concept. [But] in general, neurocontrol things will become more commonplace in the tech world.” Hey, some clever folks just figured out to use Siri to get your iPhone to read your mind (UPDATE: or not). So, here’s the big question: is this bike supposed to preview where the next-gen (or next-next-gen) Toyota Prius is going? Will we be able to get the hybrid to shift into EV mode when we think, “oh, I’d better not wake up the neighbors now”? Because that’d be something, wouldn’t it? Yes, yes it would.
See a promotional video of the bike after the jump.
