Electric Wheelchair Future Technology

Devices controlled with brain-waves are becoming a reality. On Monday, June 29th 2009, Toyota demonstrated an electric wheelchair, controlled by user’s brain waves. Approach is similar to other stories we covered in past (Live demo of mind-controlled electric wheelchair, Brain Controlled Electric Wheelchair and Mind Controlled Mouse Pointer (part 1), Brain Controlled Electric Wheelchair and Mind Computer Mouse Pointer (part 3 + The conclusion), Intelligent Autonomous Remote Controlled Electric Wheelchair).

User still needs to attach sensor grid on the head. The EEG sensor cap  measures electrical activity in the brain through five electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes. These are placed above the areas of the brain which handle motor movement. The sensors interpret the signals they pick up and translate them into motion.   System processes thought patterns without learning or training and translates them into movement of wheelchair. Electric wheelchair can accordingly move left, right or forward. Sensory system is processing data in real time, so delay between the thought and action of wheelchair is less than 125 ms. Competitive solutions require substantially more time – growing to seconds, which makes movement less natural and more difficult. Toyota’s solution (well, actually Toyota is only a sponsor of researchers from BSI-Toyota collaboration center) does not require the driver to learn special “signals”, but instead this mind-controlled electrical wheelchair will move forward when driver thinks of walking. According to Toyota the wheelchair is able to understand a record 95% of all commands coming from the drivers.

Toyota representatives described growing demand on similar accessibility products by Japan’s growing older population (in 40 years the percentage of seniors will account for more than 40% of Japanese population). Thinking is natural, and requires less learning so  brain-machine interface system will be more robust and simpler than voice-controlled system. System even “learns” by analyzing the behavior of the driver, which means that driver can improve the accuracy over time.

Japan has been always very strong in advanced robotics, and recent encourage by government fueled new research and development even further. It comes as no surprise, that other Japanese companies like Honda and Hitachi, are also working on brain-wave-machine technologies.

Though the brain-machine interface technology is still in developmental stages, Toyota researchers are hoping their electric wheelchair interface will be useful for rehabilitation and for support of people who use the vehicles, and also as a mean of assisting a rapidly aging population. Toyota’s system works excellent. Beside brain-wave commands, it also incorporates some basic motor controls. As you can see on video below an emergency stop can be commanded by puffing out a cheek.

Original story published here (in Japanese).

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