Brain-machine interfaces make gains by learning about their users, letting them rest, and allowing for multitasking. You may have heard of virtual keyboards controlled by thought, brain-powered wheelchairs, and neuro-prosthetic limbs. Once the mind is trained to send the right kind of signals, operating the interface can be downright tiring for the mind - a fact that prevents the technology from being of much use to people with disabilities, among others. Researchers at the EPFL have a solution: engineer the system so that it learns about its user, allows for periods of rest, and even multitasking.
In a typical brain-computer interface (BCI) set-up, users can send one of three commands – left, right, or no-command. No-command is necessary for a brain-powered wheelchair to continue going straight, for example, or to stay put in front of a specific target. Paradoxically, in order for the wheelchair or small robot to continue on its way it needs constant input, and this ‘no-command’ is very taxing to maintain and requires extreme concentration. After about an hour, most users are spent. Not much help if you need to maneuver that wheelchair through an airport.
More information:
http://actu.epfl.ch/news/at-aaas-2011-taking-brain-computer-interfaces-to-t/
More information:
http://actu.epfl.ch/news/at-aaas-2011-taking-brain-computer-interfaces-to-t/