Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Mind-Controlled Wheelchair

Posted by michael on from the road-rage dept.

carnun writes "New Scientist is reporting on the design of a new skull cap control mechanism that could lead to the supplanting of implanted electrodes for controlling wheel chairs. The new non-invasive method has been used to control a simple wheeled robots and could have lots of psychological benefits for quadruplegics."

8 of 50 comments (clear)

  1. Timmah! by floydigus · · Score: 3, Funny

    timmah. Timmah!

    --

    All things in moderation; including moderation

  2. Help - I want to get off by henrygb · · Score: 5, Funny
    At the moment the user can choose between three different commands: for example, "turn left", "turn right" and "move forward".

    "Stop" might be a useful upgrade.

  3. Bah, that's nothing. by DeadVulcan · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why don't people work on making more of Stephen Hawking's exoskeleton?

    --
    Accountability on the heads of the powerful.
    Power in the hands of the accountable.
  4. Firefox and Otaku dreams by MagikSlinger · · Score: 3, Funny

    In the novel that the movie was based on, the Firefox was developed from a project to create a mind-controllable wheelchair. So how long before we get jet fighters we can control with our minds?

    Then it can advance to jet fighters that transform and can only be controlled by mind-control and a giant mega-fortress with a really annoying J-Pop singer.

    THEN, we can have giant Evangellion robot warriors that you synch with that has a 1 in 10 chance of killing you (or driving you insane) just in time for the Second Impact!!

    *Phew*

    I think I'll go lie down now... :-}

    --
    The bitter lessons of a veteran coder: http://bitterprogrammer.blogspot.com
  5. Re:Hmmmmm..... by TheWanderingHermit · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm sorry, what were you saying? I was busy thinking about that woman I met at the gym today...

  6. Re:Obligatory Trek Reference by Verne · · Score: 3, Funny

    or is it once for "no," and twice for "yes?).

    Don't worry. I'm sure it's one of the two. You could always ask it "is it twice for yes?" and it'll blink twice. :)

    --


    There are only two things in this world that smell like fish. And one of them's fish...
  7. I wonder what happens... by stupidsocialscientis · · Score: 4, Interesting

    when the user dreams they are moving? Similar neural areas may become active, and thus activate the wheelchair. If so, could an add-on be used to detect REM activity and incapacitate the device when the user is sleeping?

    --
    Well, as far as Sig's go, Freud was a doozy.
  8. Re:sounds cool by stupidsocialscientis · · Score: 3, Informative

    as a psychologist - I have seen software that is designed to train people to elicit a certain type of brain wave pattern (e.g., beta, alpha). These devices use fairly crude caps. I suppose the wheelchair-makers may be using broad patterns such as these, rather than very neuroanatomically localized patterns, which I believe would be more subject to increased artifact as a function of movement.

    --
    Well, as far as Sig's go, Freud was a doozy.