Mind-Controlled Robotic Arm, Anyone?


Researchers at the University of Minnesota have made what they're calling a "major breakthrough" that has the power to help individuals who are paralyzed: They're figured out a way for people to control a robotic arm with just their minds.crp robot

The technique, which has a mouthful of a name—electroencephalography (EEG) based brain-computer interface—doesn't require surgical implants, just a high-tech cap outfitted with 64 electrodes. The cap records the "weak electrical activity of the subjects' brain," and then uses "advanced signal processing and machine learning" to convert those thoughts into action, the school said in a news release.

"This is the first time in the world that people can operate a robotic arm to reach and grasp objects in a complex 3D environment using only their thoughts without a brain implant," Bin He, a University of Minnesota biomedical engineering Professor and lead researcher on the study, said in a statement. "Just by imagining moving their arms, they were able to move the robotic arm."Researchers at the university tested the technique with eight healthy humans. The test subjects first learned how to control a virtual cursor on a computer screen. Then, they learned how to control a robotic arm, and using it to reach and grasp objects on a table.

"Eventually, they were able to move the robotic arm to reach and grasp objects in random locations on a table and move objects from the table to a three-layer shelf by only thinking about these movements," the school said. "All eight subjects could control a robotic arm to pick up objects in fixed locations with an average success rate above 80 percent and move objects from the table onto the shelf with an average success rate above 70 percent."
The new robotic arm research comes after He and his team three years ago proved that subjects could fly a small quadcopter using the same technique.

"Three years ago, we weren't sure moving a more complex robotic arm to grasp and move objects using this brain-computer interface technology could even be achieved," He said. "We're happily surprised that it worked with a high success rate and in a group of people."