How thoughts can control a flying
robot


It's a staple of science fiction: people who can control objects
with their minds. At the University of Minnesota, a new technology is turning that fiction into reality. In the lab of biomedical engineering professor Bin He, several young people have learned to use their thoughts to steer a flying robot around a gym, making it turn, rise, dip, and even sail through a ring. The technology, pioneered by He, may someday allow people robbed of speech and mobility by neurodegenerative diseases to regain function by controlling artificial limbs, wheelchairs, or other devices. And it's completely noninvasive: Brain waves (EEG) are picked up by
the electrodes of an EEG cap on the scalp, not a chip implanted in the brain. A report on the technology has been published in the Journal of Neural Engineering. "My entire career is to push for noninvasive 3-D brain-computer interfaces, or BCI," says He, a faculty member in the College of Science and Engineering. "[Researchers elsewhere] have used a chip implanted into the brain's motor cortex to drive movement of a cursor [across a screen] or a robotic arm. But here we have proof that a noninvasive BCI from a scalp EEG can do as well as an invasive
chip."

Mapping the brain

He's BCI system works thanks to the geography of the motor cortex— the area of the cerebrum that governs movement. When we move, or think about a movement, neurons in the motor cortex produce tiny electric currents. Thinking about a different movement activates a new assortment of neurons. Sorting out these assortments laid the groundwork for the BCI, says He. "We were the first to use both functional MRI and EEG imaging to map where in the brain neurons are activated when you imagine movements," he says. "So now we know where the signals will come from."
The brain map showed that imagining making fists—with one hand or the other or both—produced the most easily distinguished signals. "This knowledge about what kinds of signals are generated by what kind of motion imagination helps us optimize the design of the system to control flying objects in real time," He explains.

Tapping the map

Monitoring electrical activity from the brain, the 64 scalp electrodes
of the EEG cap report the signals (or lack of signals) they detect to a computer, which translates the pattern into an electronic command. Volunteers first learned to use thoughts to control the 1-D movement of a cursor on a screen, then 2-D cursor movements and 3-D control of a virtual helicopter. Now it's the real deal, controlling an actual flying robot—formally, an AR [augmented reality] drone. He's computers interface with the WiFi controls that come with the robot; after translating EEG brain signals into a command, the computer sends the command to the robot by
WiFi.

Future directions

The journal article describes how five men and women learned to
guide the flying robot. The first author is Karl LaFleur, who was a
senior biomedical engineering student during the study.
"Working for Dr. He has been a phenomenal experience," says
LaFleur, who plans to put his knowledge to use when he enters the
U's Medical School next year. "He has so much experience with the
scientific process, and he is excellent at helping his students learn
this process while allowing them room for independent work. Being
an author on a first-person journal article is a huge opportunity that
most undergraduates never get." "I think the potential for BCI is very broad," says He. "Next, we want to apply the flying robot technology to help disabled patients interact
with the world. "It may even help patients with conditions like stroke or Alzheimer's disease. We're now studying some stroke patients to see if it'll help rewire brain circuits to bypass damaged areas."


www1.umn.edu/news/features/2013/UR_CONTENT_444147.html

Uyi Iredia: How thoughts can control a flying
robot

It's a staple of science fiction: people who can control objects
with their minds. At the University of Minnesota, a new technology is turning that fiction into reality. In the lab of biomedical engineering professor Bin He, several young people have learned to use their thoughts to steer a flying robot around a gym, making it turn, rise, dip, and even sail through a ring. The technology, pioneered by He, may someday allow people robbed of speech and mobility by neurodegenerative diseases to regain function by controlling artificial limbs, wheelchairs, or other devices. And it's completely noninvasive: Brain waves (EEG) are picked up by
the electrodes of an EEG cap on the scalp, not a chip implanted in the brain. A report on the technology has been published in the Journal of Neural Engineering. "My entire career is to push for noninvasive 3-D brain-computer interfaces, or BCI," says He, a faculty member in the College of Science and Engineering. "[Researchers elsewhere] have used a chip implanted into the brain's motor cortex to drive movement of a cursor [across a screen] or a robotic arm. But here we have proof that a noninvasive BCI from a scalp EEG can do as well as an invasive
chip."

Mapping the brain

He's BCI system works thanks to the geography of the motor cortex— the area of the cerebrum that governs movement. When we move, or think about a movement, neurons in the motor cortex produce tiny electric currents. Thinking about a different movement activates a new assortment of neurons. Sorting out these assortments laid the groundwork for the BCI, says He. "We were the first to use both functional MRI and EEG imaging to map where in the brain neurons are activated when you imagine movements," he says. "So now we know where the signals will come from."
The brain map showed that imagining making fists—with one hand or the other or both—produced the most easily distinguished signals. "This knowledge about what kinds of signals are generated by what kind of motion imagination helps us optimize the design of the system to control flying objects in real time," He explains.

Tapping the map

Monitoring electrical activity from the brain, the 64 scalp electrodes
of the EEG cap report the signals (or lack of signals) they detect to a computer, which translates the pattern into an electronic command. Volunteers first learned to use thoughts to control the 1-D movement of a cursor on a screen, then 2-D cursor movements and 3-D control of a virtual helicopter. Now it's the real deal, controlling an actual flying robot—formally, an AR [augmented reality] drone. He's computers interface with the WiFi controls that come with the robot; after translating EEG brain signals into a command, the computer sends the command to the robot by
WiFi.

Future directions

The journal article describes how five men and women learned to
guide the flying robot. The first author is Karl LaFleur, who was a
senior biomedical engineering student during the study.
"Working for Dr. He has been a phenomenal experience," says
LaFleur, who plans to put his knowledge to use when he enters the
U's Medical School next year. "He has so much experience with the
scientific process, and he is excellent at helping his students learn
this process while allowing them room for independent work. Being
an author on a first-person journal article is a huge opportunity that
most undergraduates never get." "I think the potential for BCI is very broad," says He. "Next, we want to apply the flying robot technology to help disabled patients interact
with the world. "It may even help patients with conditions like stroke or Alzheimer's disease. We're now studying some stroke patients to see if it'll help rewire brain circuits to bypass damaged areas."


[url=http://www1.umn.edu/news/features/2013 UR_CONTENT_444147.html]Source[/url]

wow

Mouth closed

Uyi Iredia:
SMH. As expected from one who argued gay was exclusively a result of Nature and hence moral. Ignoring well-known facts of how prolonged contact with men, especially in places like prisons with no means of intimate union for heterosexuals, variably leads to homosexuality. Didn't properly rebut my point that genetic determination doesn't justify the morality of a thing, since he had a prior bias to support gays. Science once said gay was a disorder, times changed and science did and now, gay is okay. Part why I'm not as impressed with science (or talk of it as if it rubber-stamps an idea) despite its good. That said, to help you out consider that decades back homosexuality was a taboo in the lands condemning us for homophobia, by proper organisation into supporting communities, campaigns and personal interactions they've swung the moral compass of your likes in their favor. Ergo, you caught the 'gay is okay' bug.

I'm banned from the Religion Section, so i'll reply you here.

Sexual Orientation goes beyond Sexual Intercourse, you over-simplified it. Prisoners in prison may have sex with other men but that does not mean their Sexual Orientation has Changed. At most, they may become Bi-sexuals but not Homosexuals. Yes i agree, Homophobia was in Vogue many years ago, but enlightenment has shown us that if a Trait is determined and completely independent of Freewill then we can't blame the Individual.

Nice one. Maybe someday,a Nigerian out there'll also make mine,https://www.nairaland.com/1307261/homebuilt-radio-controlled-helicopter#15968677, work so.