CHINA: Computer scientists at Zhejiang University have developed a way to fly a drone with the power of their thoughts; technology will eventually allow people with disabilities to operate machines and lead more independent lives, they say

Record ID: 184864

  • Title: CHINA: Computer scientists at Zhejiang University have developed a way to fly a drone with the power of their thoughts; technology will eventually allow people with disabilities to operate machines and lead more independent lives, they say
  • Date: 9th October 2012
  • Summary: COMPUTER DIAGRAM DISPLAYING HEADSET NERVE SIGNALS YU YIPENG ADJUSTING HEADSET POSITION SCALP COMPUTER SCREEN DISPLAYING NETWORK CONNECTION STATUS
  • Embargoed: 24th October 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Technology
  • Reuters ID: LVA5W3EDDDCXTIKAZB61F74QLIDE
  • Story Text: Yu Yipeng is controlling this quadcopter with his mind. A headset fitted with neural sensors detects the electrical signals produced by his thoughts and sends them to a laptop computer which processes them into commands that control the drone.
    "Our system here is operated by human brain power. Brain signals picked up from the headset on my scalp which detects from brain waves. Through this headset, the brain signals are collected and sent off. Through a Bluetooth, they are sent to laptop computer. The laptop will then process these signals. After they're processed, it can distinguish them from one another, for instance, if you think "right" or "left," said Yu, a doctoral student at Zhejiang University's College of Computer Science and Technology who went on to explain that the computer uses a wireless network to control the drone The neural headset is a an Emotiv electroencephalography (EEG), a commercially available neural interface. It works by detecting the brain's electrical activity. What Yu and his team have developed is software that processes those signals. The system works by using computer algorithims to analyse "static" signals coming from the brain and converting them into commands for the drone.
    Professor Gang Pan says that while the neural headset is finely tuned to detect thought, the software needs refining to more accurately translate the signals into actionable commands. For now, right and left commands do not necessarily translate into right and left. Thinking "right" propels the copter forward, "left" sends it clockwise. Clenching your teeth makes the copter descend, and blinking your eyes four times directs the drone to take a picture.
    "If you want to use this thing, the hardest part is that it processes signals very quickly....you have to figure out if the meaning of this static is good or bad, and that relies on the computer's analysis," said Professor Gang.
    Graduate student Hua Weidong, says it may look like a toy, but the drone represents research with a very serious purpose.
    "In the future, those who might really benefit from this are disabled persons. It might be able to help them with tasks they are not capable of, for instance, taking care of others. Later, the average person might be able to use a brain-controlled interface to control a lot of things," said Hua.
    The team says that perfecting the technology will take many more years of research. But with their drone, they've already demonstrated that the concept of mind over matter has already taken flight.
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