Scientists have successfully flown a remote‐controlled helicopter through an obstacle course using only the “power” of thoughts. The research, by the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Engineering in Medicine, uses a non‐invasive “cap” to capture brain electrical activity. Five participants were selected to wear a simple “cap” that held 64 electrodes, using it to “teach” the computer the brain patterns corresponding to thoughts of movement ‐ clenching of the left and right fist for turning left and right, clenching both fists to go up, and doing nothing to go down. Then the computer was set up to run the helicopter over Wi-Fi, with only the participant’s thoughts at the controls. The approach requires that an electronic system be “trained” to recognize patterns in an electroencephalograph ‐ a map of electrical activity. Those thoughts, such as that of making a fist with the left hand, are then correlated with motions of the helicopter.
Source: Times of India
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