US researchers control flying robot using just thoughts

U.S. researchers say a system that lets people control a flying robot with their mind could help people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases. Scientists in the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering said subjects who took part in the study were able to successfully control the four-blade flying robot, also known as a quadcopter, quickly and accurately for a sustained length of time. The non-invasive control technique used electroencephalography, a brain-computer interface that records electrical activity of the subjects' brain through a specialized, high-tech cap fitted with 64 electrodes, the researchers said. "Our study shows that for the first time, humans are able to control the flight of flying robots using just their thoughts sensed from a non-invasive skull cap," biomedical engineering Professor Bin He said. "It works as good as invasive techniques used in the past." He said the university research is intended to help people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases regain mobility and independence. "We envision that they'll use this technology to control wheelchairs, artificial limbs or other devices," He said. During the study, the subjects involved were asked to imagine using their right hand, left hand, and both hands together to instruct the quadcopter to turn right, left, lift, and then fall. The quadcopter was given a pre-set forward motion but all other movements were controlled only by subjects' thoughts, the researchers said. "Our next step is to use the mapping and engineering technology we've developed to help disabled patients interact with the world," He said. "It may even help patients with conditions like autism or Alzheimer's disease or help stroke victims recover. We're now studying some stroke patients to see if it'll help rewire brain circuits to bypass damaged areas."