Toyota develops mind-controlled wheelchair

Posted by anthonykuo , Jun, 2009 @ 11:45 am

Toyota Motor Corp. now claims to have developed a wheelchair that users can move and steer without physically moving a muscle, reports USA Today. A brain wave-reading transmits signals from the rider to an electroencephalograph (EEG) located on the chair. A computer program analyzes those signals and transmits corresponding commands to the wheelchair, moving the user forward, left, or right almost instantly. Prior technology could read such brain wave commands over several seconds, but Toyota says that its technology can decipher the brain signals within a thousandth of a second.

Check out the video below. The interface is extraordinarily accurate, and lets users deftly navigate obstacle courses. It’s pretty amazing, and certainly a breakthrough robotics, as well as a potential breakthrough for medical applications.

via Engadget

Tags: bmi, brain control, robotics, toyota, wheelchair