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Wheelchair Controlled by Thought

Posted by samzenpus on from the just-like-xavier dept.

macduffman writes "New Scientist reports on another development in interfacing with the central nervous system. The system 'eavesdrops' on signals sent from the brain to the larynx, so even people who lack the muscular control to vocalize a command can operate it. The potential applications of this technology are as varied as human imagination, among them: allowing a person who has lost speech capability to vocalize again." From the article:"The wheelchair could help people with spinal injuries, or neurological problems like cerebral palsy or motor neurone disease, operate computers and other equipment despite serious problems with muscle control. The system will work providing a person can still control their larynx, or 'voice box,' which may be the case even if the lack the muscle coordination necessary to produce coherent speech."

84 comments

  1. I'm down to help the disabled.... by daddyrief · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...but I'm more down to play a real next-gen gaming system ;)

    I'll be in the cyberspace lobby.

    --
    "Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies." -Thomas Jefferson
    1. Re:I'm down to help the disabled.... by Tackhead · · Score: 1
      > ...but I'm more down to play a real next-gen gaming system ;)

      Done!.

      Disclaimer: Doesn't actually come with a thought-controlled interface, but what did you expect from 1982's technology?

    2. Re:I'm down to help the disabled.... by UbuntuDupe · · Score: 1

      I don't know what that's a reference to, but I definitely would pay top dollar to have a computer interface I can control with my mind.

      Any news on when I can buy one of these things and use it for computer input?

      --
      Apology to Ubuntu forum.
    3. Re:I'm down to help the disabled.... by dashslotter · · Score: 2, Funny

      You are reading too much into this.... Wheelchairs have always been controlled by the mind.... indirectly

      --
      I was flipping bits on an abacus, newb.
    4. Re:I'm down to help the disabled.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Well we don't know the bandwidth or latency yet. But anything higher than about 1 kbps with less than 1 ms latency is going to make me own your ass in a deathmatch.

      This makes me wonder, since we as humans (and cyborgs) are now able to access the nervous system data bus, shouldn't we cut out the old slow data bus and rewire it with fiber? And when do we get a processor upgrade? I for one would at least like a decent FPU. And a built in music system. Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to have a wifi connection (unless someone decides to hack into you).

    5. Re:I'm down to help the disabled.... by somersault · · Score: 1

      Processor 'upgrade'? The brain is pretty much the most awesome processor on the planet. Maybe if all you ever want to do again is play chess, or control an aeroplane then you could swap your brain for a CPU. But I wouldn't consider turning yourself into a vegetable an upgrade. Adding an FPU to your brain would be kind of handy though ;)

      Also, you either have really slow reactions, or .. you're just weird wanting to rewire yourself with glass instead of biological nerves :P You'd also need to outfit yourself with the appropriate transmitters and receivers since your body doesn't naturally send its signals as light. And you'd need a spare battery for when you got tired.

      --
      which is totally what she said
  2. Old video by darkhitman · · Score: 1

    The video mentioned in TFA is old - I remember seeing it at least two months ago. Well, we can't blame Slashdot for this one - or, can we? No. But we can blame New Scientist.

    --
    Tell me something...it's still "We, the people"... right?
  3. Pics by Average_Joe_Sixpack · · Score: 1

    prototype

    1. Re:Pics by ross.w · · Score: 1

      Another prototype

      And the production version

      --
      If my call is important, why am I talking to a recording?
    2. Re:Pics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Early Prototype

      Advanced Prototype

    3. Re:Pics by fractoid · · Score: 1

      So you're trying to tell me that, in the Kaled language, "exterminate" and "destroy" translate as "right" and "left"?

      --
      Rampant carbon sequestration destroyed the Dinosaurs' tropical paradise. I'm here to help repair the damage.
  4. Over-hyped? by Jaqenn · · Score: 3, Funny

    If it's eavesdropping on the signals sent to your larynx, does that mean that you can't talk and drive at the same time?

    Does it mean that saying "I left my keys at home" while driving on the sidewalk is going to send you hurtling into traffic?

    --
    You are awash in a sea of fiercely stated opinions. Obvious exits are: 'File->Quit', 'Reply', and 'Page Down'.
    1. Re:Over-hyped? by weirdcrashingnoises · · Score: 4, Funny

      by golly, you're right! *crashes into tree*

      --
      sigs... don't talk to me about sigs....
    2. Re:Over-hyped? by Kingrames · · Score: 1

      clever joke, old chap. right-OH !&@$

      --
      If you can read this, I forgot to post anonymously.
    3. Re:Over-hyped? by 5of0 · · Score: 1

      Oh, stop making suc*CRUNCH*

      --
      You all have Oo.o and Firefox, so get World Wind.
  5. Thier digital voice box says by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    allowing a person who has lost speech capability to vocalize again
    "Kill Me. Kill Me! Why did you let me live? You cruel Bastards!!!!"

  6. qqqqq by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In b4 Christopher Pike

  7. Pfff! by morari · · Score: 1, Funny

    We've had those at the academy forever! I don't know where Prof. Xavier got his, but he's always zooming around the hallways, honking and yelling at us "whippersnappers" to get out of the way.

    --
    "He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing." --Paul Atreides, Dune
    1. Re:Pfff! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Davros, is that you?

    2. Re:Pfff! by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 1

      You will agree, I think, that voice control is a remarkable step forward. However, the best is yet to come. Nyder?

      --
      Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
  8. What about the mouth? by Zouden · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Surely the mouth and tongue are also required for speech. How much information can you convey using just your larynx?

    --
    "A week in the lab saves an hour in the library"
    1. Re:What about the mouth? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As this is computer interpreted it does not have to be "perfect speech" as such, just a thought which means forward / backward / right and left.

    2. Re:What about the mouth? by Cassius+Corodes · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Not to be rude, but how is this insightful? The throat and mouth follow the commands of the brain, therefore unless they have independent intelligence they would not add any additional information.

      --
      Control is an illusion, order our comforting lie. From chaos, through chaos, into chaos we fly
    3. Re:What about the mouth? by dashslotter · · Score: 3, Funny

      How much information can you convey using just your larynx? hwt ah bt, uhctully.
      --
      I was flipping bits on an abacus, newb.
    4. Re:What about the mouth? by greg_barton · · Score: 3, Informative

      How much information can you convey using just your larynx?

      Well, how much information do you really need to drive a wheelchair?

      Rotate left
      Rotate right
      forward
      stop current action

      Not much. I'm sure there are four discernible signals to the larynx, probably more. Just a quick guess, but you could probably detect the following sequences of long/short "uh" sounds:

      short short (uh uh)
      short long (uh uuuuh)
      long short (uuuuh uh)
      long long (uuuuh uuuuh)

      There's four signals.

    5. Re:What about the mouth? by martnik · · Score: 1

      I think you meant the other order there. Not "uuuuh uuuuh" for stopping! I think short short is for stopping. Much more important than rotating. I mean it's gonna be "uuuuh... oops, didn't stop, I feel off a cliff."

    6. Re:What about the mouth? by greg_barton · · Score: 1

      Ya, realized that after posting.

    7. Re:What about the mouth? by MarsMartian · · Score: 1

      even if there are only 4 commands, the percent error this machine should have in discerning between the commands should be less than 0.1% (1/1000). Think about it, how often do you tell yourself to stop walking? Now what if one of those is to tell yourself to stop walking across the street. while this technology seems useful, they'll sure have to test the hell out of it before it gets anywhere near production.

  9. In Soviet Russia.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    party chairman controls our thoughts!

  10. i know what... by FudRucker · · Score: 2, Funny

    Steven Hawking is getting for xmas...

    --
    Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
  11. You must think... in Russian. by Tackhead · · Score: 2, Interesting
    > prototype

    That's the 1966 version. Obsolete. Get the 1982 upgrade.

    ("This is very important, Mister Gant. You must think in Russian -- you can't think in English and transpose it...")

    The tech described in the article is surprisingly like the movie, right down to Clint Eastwood's subvocalizing the commands in his head after attempting (and failing) to fire the rearward missile in English, and only succeeding when he subvocalized the command while thinking in Russian.

  12. Captain Pike. by edlinfan · · Score: 1

    ...and how long will it be before this wheelchair is the preferred ride of crippled Starfleet captains?

    beeeeeep.... beeeeeeep.....

    1. Re:Captain Pike. by Dachannien · · Score: 1

      Zapp Brannigan: Double yes. Guilty! I will now carry out the punishment. Kif, my gun.

  13. Li'l Abner covered this (sort of) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    http://www.lil-abner.com/

    Al Capp was always sending up the captains of industry. He dreamed up the Shmoos who could solve all the problems of humanity. Naturally, the captains of industry spent a lot of time making sure the Shmoos didn't proliferate.

    In one of the story lines an inventor came up with a car that needed no fuel, it was powered by the heartbeat of its driver. The captains of industry lured him up to the 100th floor of a building to demonstrate his (small) vehicle. As he was driving it down the hall they arranged for a beautiful woman to appear. His heartbeat raced and the car accelerated uncontrollably through the window at the end of the hall. Problem solved.

    In light of the above, I dread the advent of wheelchairs controlled by their users' thoughts.

  14. Hmmmm... by IonOtter · · Score: 1

    Put this guy in it. Wheeeee!

    --
    [End Of Line]
  15. It's fo real by wooden+pickle · · Score: 1

    I saw it demoed about a month ago. Dude drove a wheelchair and talked through it. Two questions:

    Does it have an internal monologue feature?

    How long until the NSA makes us all wear one?

    1. Re:It's fo real by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At NI Week?

    2. Re:It's fo real by greg_barton · · Score: 4, Interesting

      How long until the NSA makes us all wear one?

      For a short time in college I was on a research team looking into this kind of stuff. (Way back in '93, this was) The electrical impulses that are meant for your vocal chords, but are suppressed because you don't want to (or can't) speak are called "covert oral behavior." Anyway, even back then, we were working on training up neural networks to translate the signals into words/phonemes. I'm sure the technology has come a long way since then.

      Right around 9/11 and the whole Gitmo thing I started thinking, "I'll bet covert oral behavior detection is being used to interrogate prisoners." The thing is, the signals "leak" down your nerves when you only think words, but don't say them. The trick is being able to interpret them and translate them to words. Not easy by any stretch, but once successful it would be the closest thing to ESP around.
    3. Re:It's fo real by mooingyak · · Score: 1

      I want to mod this "+1 fucking scary"

      --
      William of Ockham had no beard. The most likely explanation is that it was chewed off by squirrels every morning.
    4. Re:It's fo real by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, but try getting good electrical contact through those giant terrorist beards ...

  16. Need some community help please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    On the topic of thought-controlled devices, I've just received a prototype of a device which actually does send out the brainwave signals to the CPU. The drawback is that it only runs under Windows.

    What I'm wondering is whether there are any completely Open Source (preferrably GPL based) projects out there which provide an application-layer API? I can handle reverse engineering the driver. The question is what to do with the data once it's passed up to user space, and made available for applications.

    Does any body know of any good open source projects along these lines? Any help would be appreciated. I'd really like to be able to at least move the mouse pointer just back thought for starters. And then be able to type via thinking too.

    Any help would be appreciated. And thanks in advance!

    1. Re:Need some community help please by $pace6host · · Score: 1

      What kind of data do you end up with once the driver has interpreted the signals, and what do you want to map that data to? I mean, do you want it to act like some sort of standard user input device and move the cursor, select user interface items (click, double click, right click), and send keystrokes (e.g. keyboard, mouse, trackball, touch screen, etc.) -- or do you want it to act like something else? If you want it to generate standard UID events, look into /dev/uinput. I wrote a user space driver that takes input from a device and feeds it into /dev/uinput to simulate keystrokes on a keyboard. It'd be simple to write one that simulated mouse movements, clicks, etc. So, if the device could somehow recognize that one brain wave meant "move right slowly" and another meant "stop", it'd be easy to write a user space driver that could simulate a mouse moving right slowly when told the first had been recognized, and then stopping when the second had been recognized. But a response to an "Open File" thought could only be accomplished if the application itself recognized a standard input event for that command (maybe a keyboard shortcut), and you'd have to have different mappings for each application's set of recognized input events (when pattern 0x1a42cf7d is recognized, send "Ctrl-down O-down O-up Ctrl-up" if in "Firefox" mode, but send "Ctrl-down x-down x-up f-down f-up Ctrl-up" if in "emacs" mode). Given that both could be on the screen at the same time, you'd have to have "change map" commands or some sort of hook into the window manager to know which had focus. And then once you got into the file, it would be tedious to type anything. How many unique wave patterns can be recognized by the device, how long does it take to recognize each one, and what's the rate of error? And how do you attract it's attention (analogous to touching the touchpad or putting your hand on the mouse) and tell it to ignore you? Do the waves look different, or will you end up with spurious input?

  17. Only Catch by aztec+rain+god · · Score: 4, Funny

    You have to think in Russian!

    --
    Sig cannot be found.
    1. Re:Only Catch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, FireFox fighter planes control YOU!

  18. It would be fun by Tribbin · · Score: 1

    It would be fun watching someones multiple personalities fight over the control.

    --
    If you mod this up, your slashdot background will turn into a beautiful sunset!
  19. Audeo by SparhawkA · · Score: 3, Interesting

    For another cool demo of the Audeo and how it was developed, you can watch a 5-minute video here:
    http://www.ni.com/niweek/keynote_videos.htm

    It's under "Tuesday" -- the last topic titled "Algorithm Engineering, Michael Callahan, Thomas Coleman"

    Enjoy!

  20. But my head doesn't have an Output Jack! by newgalactic · · Score: 1

    Just hold still Sir while we solder these leads to your Posterior Lobes. You may feel some "pressure"...

  21. Suicide by Tribbin · · Score: 1

    So now when somebody 'thinks' about driving suicidal ...

    --
    If you mod this up, your slashdot background will turn into a beautiful sunset!
  22. Would it be all NAZI doctor of me to suggest by QuantumG · · Score: 3, Funny

    I always wonder whether embedding a glucose powered computer of some description into a new-born baby's brain would give them super math ability.. if you can fit a wireless connection in there too, that'd be nice.

    I guess there's no ethical way to do it though.

    --
    How we know is more important than what we know.
    1. Re:Would it be all NAZI doctor of me to suggest by LouisZepher · · Score: 1

      Wireless my ass. I've often voiced support for leash-laws on the little turds. I think it'd be much more effective for the little brat to discover that running off would mean having his USB cord pulled out, thus disabling all the drivers for his legs causing the kid to fall on his face.

  23. Captain Christoper Pike Called... by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 3, Funny

    He wants his chair back, and no - you can't ask the Talosians for another look at the Vina reconstruction.

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
    1. Re:Captain Christoper Pike Called... by patio11 · · Score: 1

      I think I've got to Whoooooooooooooooooosh myself there. What are you talking about?

      Reference -> *

      Me -> o?
                              \|/
                              / \

      --
      Help poke pirates in the eyepatch, arr.
    2. Re:Captain Christoper Pike Called... by commodoresloat · · Score: 2, Funny

      Wow, sorry, dude, looks like you got decapitated!! Luckily there is this technology for wheelchairs that can be retrofitted to hats in order to help you out with that....

    3. Re:Captain Christoper Pike Called... by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 1

      Star Trek pilot 1 "The Cage" - as remade into "The Menagerie" in Season 1.

      Super Geeky.

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
    4. Re:Captain Christoper Pike Called... by somersault · · Score: 1

      Pfft, even I knew about that. And I only collected Star Trek Fact Files magazine for around 2 years.

      --
      which is totally what she said
  24. Exterminate!!! Exterminate!!! by securityfolk · · Score: 1, Funny

    I see that Daleks are more feasible now... Someone call The Doctor!!

  25. Beware! by Erris · · Score: 1

    If it's eavesdropping on the signals sent to your larynx, does that mean that you can't talk and drive at the same time?

    It means your subvocalizations can be eavesdropped. There's a world of abuse that can come of that which should be outlawed before abuse becomes practical. If you thought it was creepy that TIA was scanning your web browsing, email and phone conversations, just wait till they can parse thoughts you don't even know you had.

    --
    DMCA, Hollings, Palladium. What might have sounded like paranoia is now common sense.
    1. Re:Beware! by heinousjay · · Score: 1

      Nothing like running directly to the bottom of the slope. Is it tough to keep your footing when it's that slippery?

      --
      Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
  26. almost there.... by cl191 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now if they would build that automatic spring puncher thing and the rotor blades like they had for Hawkings in the Simpsons...

  27. hawking by mattsqz · · Score: 0

    time to get mr hawking a new chair.

  28. Look at her ... by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 1

    rear end! Wheelchair bound people can still be sexual.

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
    1. Re:Look at her ... by Harmonious+Botch · · Score: 1

      Yeah, when they get the right equipment: "IN! OUT! IN! OUT! IN! OUT...

  29. Apologies in advance by heinousjay · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Nintendo Wiilchair?

    --
    Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
  30. Zzz. by MrKneebone · · Score: 1

    Thought for the day: Whatever you do, don't fall asleep in the wheelchair!! You could wake up anywhere...

  31. To go up... by SEWilco · · Score: 1

    ... a hill? Think "I think I can, I think I can!"

  32. A prop for the next Jackass movie? by Ben+Finley · · Score: 1

    I think there are a number of ways one can have fun with this . . .

  33. Reminds me of... by Matt_R · · Score: 1

    Reminds me of this :)

  34. More channels give more bandwidth, in parallel by turing_m · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The deal with this device is that it is intercepting the nerves that go to the larynx (from what I can tell from the article). I don't think that's much more than one channel.

    Consider what your feet and hands do with driving. It's generally easier to control something with a bunch of different channels available to yourself, and you get more bandwidth. Kind of like hunting and pecking versus touch typing. Or playing an FPS with just the keyboard compared to mouse + keyboard. The brain will use as many channels as it can for control. May take longer to learn but the end result is more complete control, with less fatigue.

    --
    If I have seen further it is by stealing the Intellectual Property of giants.
  35. Speech synthesiser by tsa · · Score: 1

    How long before we have a thought-controlled speech synthesiser?

    --

    -- Cheers!

    1. Re:Speech synthesiser by Chris+Pimlott · · Score: 1

      How about a thought-controlled musical synthesiser?

  36. Dream by tsa · · Score: 1

    And I had another idea. What happens when somebody who is in a thought-controlled wheelchair falls asleep and dreams about a wheelchair race or being chased in his chair? That could be dangerous.

    --

    -- Cheers!

  37. I'd hope my larynx is disabled then by Moraelin · · Score: 2, Funny

    Man, if I end up on such a wheelchair, I sure hope my larynx is fucked up too. Because otherwise it sounds like an orangutan on a wheelchair. "Uh uh uuuuh uh uh uuuuh uuuuh uuuuh!" Throw in some chest thumping and people might try to appease me with bananas.

    --
    A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
  38. Re:Exterminate!!! Exterminate!!! by Alioth · · Score: 1

    The first thought that came into my mind was Davross.

    --
    Oolite: Elite-like game. For Mac, Linux and Windows
  39. What happens if ... by nikhil_ketkar · · Score: 1

    you FEEL like running people over.

  40. Think in slashdot russian? by LordEd · · Score: 1

    In Soviet Russia, wheelchair controls you!

  41. Oh Noes! by LuNa7ic · · Score: 1

    I for one wonder if our newly mobile mental overlords can run linux on a beowulf cluster of these things?

    *Runs*

    --
    *runs*
  42. The other Firefox by booch · · Score: 1

    Wow, a chance to mention the OTHER Firefox -- not the browser.

    --
    Software sucks. Open Source sucks less.
    1. Re:The other Firefox by crazy_zulu · · Score: 1

      In Soviet Russia wheel-chair shoots you down!

      --
      ...and one flew over the cuckoo's nest.
  43. what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    no comments on Professor X yet?

  44. I can only say one thing to that. by 5KVGhost · · Score: 1

    BEEP

  45. What is this title trying to imply? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    At times, my wife has been confined to a wheelchair... and I'd be in a lot of trouble if I ever implied it wasn't always controlled by thought!

  46. Web Comic by D_Wheezy · · Score: 1

    Web comic about this technology... http://dwheezy.blogspot.com/2007/02/look-but-dont- touch.html