First-of-its-kind noninvasive system has potential to help
people with disabilities
Researchers in the University of Minnesota’s College of
Science and Engineering have developed a new noninvasive system that allows
people to control a flying robot using only their mind. The study goes far
beyond fun and games and has the potential to help people who are paralyzed or
have neurodegenerative diseases.
The study was published today in IOP Publishing’s Journal of
Neural Engineering. A University of Minnesota video of the robot in action can
be viewed here.
Five subjects (three female and two male) who took part in
the study were each able to successfully control the four-blade flying robot,
also known as a quadcopter, quickly and accurately for a sustained amount of
time.