Washington: Astronauts in their future missions to Moon or Mars may be able to pilot a spacecraft using their thoughts alone, scientists say. Researchers led by Riccardo Poli, a computer science professor at the University of Essex, have for the first time used a brain-computer interface (BCI) to control a spacecraft simulator. However, the researchers admit that the experiment was carried in a highly simplified environment. Working in zero gravity and trying to accomplish tasks while wearing a bulky spacesuit is challenging for astronauts in space, ‘Discovery News’ reported. The lack of gravity slows down a person’s motor skills. It is not easy to operate equipment while wearing gloves and a helmet or other cumbersome gear. The scientists discovered that their BCI was far more effective when two people were hooked up to it and had to collaborate on a task in space. That kind of enhanced decision-making ability, while good in space, could be applied to a number of high-stress situations on Earth. The team set up at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and began by putting a cap containing66 electrodes on a human subject.
Source: Times of India
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