Mind-controlled wheelchair prototype is truly, insanely awesome

We've seen brain-controlled wheelchairs in the past, but we've never seen them in action. This one, developed and built at the University of Zaragoza in Spain, uses an EEG cap worn on the head, using a P300 neurophysiological protocol and automated navigation. The user sees a real-time visualization of his surroundings on the screen in front of him, and then concentrates on the space which he wants to navigate to. The EEG detects the location, which is then transmitted to the autonomous navigation system, which then drives the chair to the desired location, avoiding any obstacles that might be in the way. Once the location has been chosen, the user can sit back and relax while the chair does all the work, making the use of the system far less mentally exhausting than some previous iterations which demand constant concentration on the target. Although there is no information about commercial availability of the wheelchair, it has been successfully tested by five different participants in a study. There's a video with a more detailed explanation of its impressive operation after the break.

[niloc @ May 4th 2009 2:58PM]

Making way for the rise of Professor X.

[darok3k @ May 4th 2009 3:39PM]

nice one, i was also thinking the same..

[nhut @ May 4th 2009 3:00PM]

The Laser Sensor is in a pretty strange place if you ask me...

[Chad @ May 4th 2009 3:06PM]

What if you're sitting in this chair and a hot chick walks by and you "focus" on her butt too long? Does the chair start moving toward her and follow her until it reaches it's "destination"?

[B3astofthe3ast @ May 4th 2009 3:12PM]

Not only will it follow her, but it will make a box of chocolates and roses appear out of nowhere, and ask her out for you!

[Wwhat @ May 4th 2009 9:53PM]

I would assume that if you are completely paralysed even if you have sexual feelings they will just depress the hell out of you, don't you think.

[syko21 @ May 4th 2009 3:07PM]

It looks like Justin Long in the wheelchair, time for Mac ads?

[Rick @ May 4th 2009 4:38PM]

I was just going to comment the same thing...looks like Mac got a little too smug haha.

[hemmy @ May 4th 2009 3:08PM]

Captain Pike will take 2.

BLEEP BLEEP

[Craig @ May 4th 2009 4:22PM]

LOL! I always found it odd that in the 22nd century, they've harnessed the power of antimatter, can safely teleport people and objects through millions of kilometres of space, and travel faster than light. Yet....the best wheelchair money can buy moves at tortoise speed and uses binary beeps and blinks for Yes and No. Moral of the story: in the future, don't sever your spinal cord!

Seriously though, my father had ALS and while his electric wheelchair was pretty decent (for $25K it ought to be!) it basically required an assistant to move it safely. This would have been great for him.

[wirelessF @ May 4th 2009 3:09PM]

I've always wanted to become Steven Hawking!

[Samboini @ May 4th 2009 3:51PM]

Be careful what you wish for; I'm pretty certain the grass isn't always greener.

[Casey Manley @ May 4th 2009 4:12PM]

I'm pretty sure Steven Hawking has always wanted to become you.

[JTaylor @ May 4th 2009 3:20PM]

It's still not as good as 'Mind-controlled Legs'!!!

[GM @ May 4th 2009 3:27PM]

LOL... Well played!

[webon @ May 5th 2009 3:17AM]

I have a pair of those

[iansilv @ May 4th 2009 3:27PM]

This is freakin' awesome. This is the kind of tech that should be subsidized through stimulus checks, not crappy car manufacturers.

[Kaemon @ May 4th 2009 7:56PM]

But if they did that, then all would happen is now the scientists would be overrun with union thugs. Work would never get done, and people would get paid what they don't deserve....

So no, science doesn't need the government getting a say in anything. Because they ruin everything.

[theamazinchris @ May 4th 2009 3:21PM]

the computer simulation software looks like Wolfenstien 3d!!!!

[Byzil Mystwing @ May 4th 2009 3:32PM]

Okay, that's freaking awesome. I know several people who would kill for something like this for their loved ones.

Unrelatedly: that laptop looks just like my Toshiba X205-SLI1

[badbob001 @ May 4th 2009 3:33PM]

He looks like the Jake 2.0 guy.

[swmarc @ May 4th 2009 3:55PM]

I want to see this in a car.

[BradS @ May 4th 2009 3:57PM]

Not a good idea, you see a hot girl walking along, and you end up running her down.

[tmcguire47 @ May 4th 2009 3:42PM]

what if it helped to break the ice at parties by driving you right up to the hot chick you were scoping out?

[Gipionocheiyort @ May 4th 2009 3:42PM]

Kinda like the old Warcraft games where you click a location and they figure out the best way to get there. Me likey.


Until of course the thing decides that the fastest way to get somewhere is through the pool because the cover tricked the sensor....

[kramerica5000 @ May 4th 2009 3:48PM]

This is old news. They had this in 1982 on the Mig-31 Firefox!

[nob668 @ May 5th 2009 7:40AM]

Bullshit! It never worked but always is cited. Try to know something about it before you state it.

You know, that all of these planes always crashed ;)

[bigred9295 @ May 4th 2009 3:49PM]

What happens if you are outside and it rains? Uh oh!

[hemmy @ May 4th 2009 3:58PM]

Go go gadget umbrella!

[superhobo @ May 4th 2009 3:52PM]

Awesome. Putting BCI to a good use. Not that gaming isn't a good use...

[BigD145 @ May 4th 2009 3:53PM]

Wouldn't an eye sensor and screen do the same thing?

[BradS @ May 4th 2009 3:53PM]

If you think "Oh Shit!" does it take you to the restroom automatically?

[superhobo @ May 4th 2009 3:53PM]

The guy also wins the Best Narrator Award.

[patternscanner @ May 4th 2009 4:03PM]

next, Ng's van

[Jon Doe. @ May 4th 2009 4:36PM]

ACTIVATE ROCKET PACK NOW!!!

[Wwhat @ May 4th 2009 6:40PM]

Watch the video to become convinced of the goodness of euthanasia.
Man does that thing move slow, and that's after thinking up a route for 3 hours eh, man oh man.

[onepinksheep @ May 5th 2009 5:33AM]

I'm sure that the people that this is intended for -- you know, the ones who can't move at all -- will complain at the speed of the thing. As for euthanasia, well, after you.

[Wwhat @ May 5th 2009 7:36AM]

Really? Well I guess complaining is tortuously slow too so they would be too depressed to do it, in that you are right.
But just because you get paralysed doesn't mean you are suddenly superpatient, if you fall in the pool and break your neck would you suddenly not mind moving superslow like that when you know there's no freaking need to?
And most people that get completely paralysed like that need treatment to make them stop asking people to end their misery, these are the facts.
Empathy is just a thing that isn't around in abundance I guess, hence the success they had in introducing torture in the US.

[Nicole @ May 5th 2009 1:52PM]

Wwhat, I'd call you a moron but I think you're just ignorant and have never actually known a seriously disabled person. It's not "empathy" on your part to assume that a disabled person would rather be dead or that their only worth is in their physical ability. Physical ableness is a temporary condition for everyone.

Trust me, being in a wheelchair or even totally paralyzed does not mean you can't (or don't) have sex.

[Wwhat @ May 5th 2009 9:17PM]

Trust me santa exist and makes everything better.
Trust me people on internet that claim to know it all know it all.
Trust me whenever a person doesn't have the same view as you they MUST be morons.
Trust me you aren't ignorant yourself.

[NobbyNobbs @ May 13th 2009 5:03PM]

Wwhat: Speaking as someone to whom this invention will someday be useful (I have ALS), allow me to enlighten you.

Loss of the use of your arms and legs does not equate to loss of desire to live. It does not mean you can no longer communicate, learn, teach, enjoy, love, appreciate or live.

Imagine if Stephen Hawking had taken your advice when he was diagnosed 45 years ago.

[Wwhat @ May 13th 2009 6:55PM]

OK I'm imagining it, now what? double it?

Did I say I wanted people to freaking suffer? No I just have empathy (look it up if you are american, use an old dictionary if it's not in yours)

And yes I'm familiar with the denial phase, so I'll shut up to you about it now.

[KidKobun @ May 5th 2009 12:40AM]

He's gonna' die of old age before he get's to his destination.

[Str1ker @ May 5th 2009 5:10AM]

That damn video made me fall asleep!

[Craig @ May 5th 2009 9:20AM]

Is that Jimmy Fallon in the picture? Makes sense...

[Ami Schreiber @ May 5th 2009 11:01AM]

Hopefully the "Stay Puffed Marshmellow Man" doesn't pop into his head. :)

I've always wondered how systems like this deal with situations like "I can't stop thinking about my mom vacuuming naked" out of my head.

Seriously, what if the guys brain all of a sudden focuses on driving into moving traffic?

[preeti.techyolk @ May 7th 2009 5:58AM]

Very Interesting Post ........

http://gadgetsblog.org/