Brain cap technology being developed at the University of Maryland allows users to turn their thoughts into motion. Researchers have created a non-invasive, sensor-lined cap with neural interface software that soon could be used to control computers, robotic prosthetic limbs, motorized wheelchairs and even digital avatars. The potential and rapid progression of the UMD brain cap technology can be seen in a host of recent developments, including a just published study in the Journal of Neurophysiology, new grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health, and a growing list of partners that includes the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Rice University and Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Integrated Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation.
Researchers use EEG to non-invasively read brain waves and translate them into movement commands for computers and other devices. They are also collaborating on a rapidly growing cadre projects with researchers at other institutions to develop thought-controlled robotic prosthetics that can assist victims of injury and stroke. They have tracked the neural activity of people on a treadmill doing precise tasks like stepping over dotted lines. The researchers are matching specific brain activity recorded in real time with exact lower-limb movements. This data could help stroke victims in several ways. People who are less mobile commonly suffer from other health issues such as obesity, diabetes or cardiovascular problems, so they are moving by whatever means possible. The second use of the EEG data in stroke victims offers exciting possibilities by decoding the motion of a normal gait.
More information:
http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/scitech/release.cfm?ArticleID=2475
More information:
http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/scitech/release.cfm?ArticleID=2475