Paraplegics use their brains to control their wheelchairs
Researchers have developed a method that paraplegics can use to control their wheelchairs with their thoughts. Mind control is intended to give them more mobility in everyday lifehelp.
Science is getting more and more into the human body. Yet one organ continues to be considered a kind of black box: the brain. So far, the general functionality is known, but many things are still unclear. It will therefore probably take some time before science has fully deciphered the human brain.
researchers However, a breakthrough in human-machine interaction has now been achieved. Because paraplegics could use their brain waves to drive a wheelchair and move across a crowded room. A self-learning algorithm makes this possible.
Mind control: paraplegics control wheelchairs
For the experiment, the scientists selected three paraplegic people. They received three training sessions per week over a period of two to five months, in which they trained the autonomous wheelchair on their brain.
Because every person is different and consequently interprets thoughts in their own way. An EEG device measured the brain waves and then translated them into mechanical commands. The paralyzed people only had to think of different scenarios in which they move the wheelchair in different directions.
At the same time, they should imagine that they are performing this control with their own limbs. Because in this way the corresponding brain regions for movement are addressed. Despite the same training sessions, the results varied significantly in some cases.
Brainwaves: Controlling a wheelchair with your thoughts?
While the accuracy of the interpretation increased to up to 98 percent for two of the three participants, one participant failed the training. As a result, the two successful participants moved their wheelchairs confidently through a crowded room. Participant three, however, was unsuccessful.
The researchers now want to use their findings to develop new treatment methods for people with spinal cord injuries. They also want to further investigate the problems with one of the participants and identify reasons for the poor performance. In this way, people with disabilities should at least partially regain their freedom.
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