Essex University Professors' Pioneering Brain-Activated Wheelchair
By Echo,Publication Date: February 2, 2010
Article features a wheelchair which responds to brainwaves. In development at Britain's Essex University, the wheelchair is operated via a "brain cap" worn on the head, which picks up the user's thoughts. The wheelchair only moves if its instructions are sent from particular parts of the brain. Users may need to be trained to think clearly to ensure the messages are coming from the right area; if too many thoughts are transmitted simultaneously, there will be too many brainwaves for the device's controller to handle. The current prototype can handle five essential commands: forward, back, right, left, and stop. Researchers are collaborating with scientists at other universities to further develop the wheelchair which, when on the market, will enable individuals who are paralyzed and unable to speak following stroke to become mobile.
Published by: Newsquest Media Group (Website:http://www.echo-news.co.uk/)
Link to text: http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/4884278/
