【Secret Confessions (2025) Mrs. Bugaw Episode 39】

Cars are Secret Confessions (2025) Mrs. Bugaw Episode 39going to drive themselves sooner or later -- so what will we do with all that extra commuting time so we're not stuck twiddling our thumbs?

That's what Audi is looking to find out with a new study, conducted as part of a collaboration withthe human-machine interaction experts of the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering. It put test subjects in a super futuristic autonomous car simulation, then assigned them a series of attention-demanding tasks while monitoring brain activity with EEG sensors.

It's called The 25th Hour project--an allusion to the 50 minutes or so the average driver spends behind the wheel, and the "extra" hour they could gain without having to drive.

SEE ALSO: Waymo is training its self-driving vans to pull over for the cops

"In future, people traveling from A to B will be able to surf the Internet at leisure, play with their children – or do concentrated work,” Melanie Goldmann, head of culture and trends communication at Audi, said in a statement about the project, making it clear that efficiency was the main focus here.

Millennials were specifically selected as test subjects -- we're more receptive to self-driving cars, according to Audi -- and put to work in the sim while being alternately bombarded with ads, neon lights, and social media notifications, as well as cocooned in a quiet pod environment with ambient lighting.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

The EEG results found that the latter setup was more relaxing, and therefore better for productivity. The distracting demo was, of course, distracting, making the work more difficult. Audi knew that would be the case from the start -- but that doesn't mean the test was a waste of time.

“The results show that the task is to find the right balance," Goldmann said. "In a digital future, there are no limits to what can be imagined. We could offer everything in the car – really overwhelm the user with information.”

Instead of focusing on flashing lights and rider engagement, Audi will likely look to find a healthy balance determined by what passengers want. “[W]e want to put people at the center of attention," Goldmann continued. "The car should become a smart membrane. The right information should reach the user at the right time.”

Audi and its peers in the auto industry are intent on creating a worthwhile rider experience for good reason. A report published by Intel and Strategy Analytics last month projects that self-driving cars will create a massive $7 trillion "passenger economy" by 2050, with 250 million hours of commuting time per year dedicated to these new spaces.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Some of that cash could come in the short term for automakers by selling in-car advertising -- but even more could come from the increased productivity of those hours, as Audi just demonstrated here. The car as a smart mobile workspace model is already being put into motion, as Volvo and BMW have announced Skype for Business integrations for some of their vehicles.

Audi just announced its most advanced semi-autonomous system yet with the A8, so self-driving isn't too far down the road for the automaker. Once the tech arrives for good, get ready for an extra hour of watching movies, sleeping, or yes, working during your commute.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Hyperloop One travel just got a step closer to reality

---

Topics Artificial Intelligence Self-Driving Cars

• Entertainment
• Life
• Games
• Deals
• Tech
• Social Good
• Science
• Digital Culture

• Best robot vacuum deal: Eufy Omni C20 robot vacuum and mop $300 off at Amazon
• Feeling powerless after the UK election result? Here are things you can do right now.
• Qdoba is selling a queso candle because who doesn't love the smell of cheese
• Michelle Obama casually shows up at school and gives students surprise of a lifetime
• Barcelona Open 2025 livestream: Watch live tennis for free
• Samsung says it sold 1 million Galaxy Fold phones
• 'Beauty and the Beast' inspires Doug the pug to find his own love
• Facebook is out, Apple is in at 2020 Democratic Debate
• Is it 'Thunderbolts*' or *The New Avengers'?
• Facebook waited two weeks to tell employees payroll data was stolen

• Singing Happy Birthday sucks. Here are 5 things you can do instead.
• Trolling will get worse before it gets better
• Disney+ is coming to Europe, where people can finally watch 'The Mandalorian'
• 2 dogs just had an incredible engagement photoshoot so the rest of us might as well give up
• Uber's vending machines didn’t work, so now cars are moving billboards
• The way college kids are using Tinder may surprise you
• Photos show staggering snow pile
• Why most self
• Motorola's foldable Razr is finally going on sale this February
• Michelle Obama's workout playlist has Beyoncé, Lizzo, and Ed Sheeran

• Sony PULSE Elite PS5 headset open
• John Boyega tweets apology following criticism over response to Kelly Marie Tran question
• Apple’s $6,000 Mac Pro has $400 wheels
• Women feel more uncomfortable biking to work than men, Strava report finds
• How to Reboot and Reset Android Devices
• Facebook waited two weeks to tell employees payroll data was stolen
• Hillary Clinton Snapchats an empowering video, but the internet only cares about her new haircut
• Cops tell Uber driver to stop filming, but he's also a lawyer
• Get the official Atari 7800+ Console for 50% off
• How teens are pranking your Facebook News Feeds with random events

• Waitin’ on the Student Debt Jubilee
• John Boyega tweets apology following criticism over response to Kelly Marie Tran question
• Waze adds snow and ice alerts to keep you from skidding off
• Brie Larson finally talks about not clapping for Casey Affleck winning his Oscar
• Best smartwatch deal: Save 44% on CMF Watch Pro for $38.90 at Amazon
• Airport builds Christmas tree from confiscated knives, scissors, box cutters, and lighters
• Xbox Series X is Microsoft's boxy new console, coming holiday 2020
• Feeling powerless after the UK election result? Here are things you can do right now.
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for April 23: Tips to solve Connections #212
• How teens are pranking your Facebook News Feeds with random events