Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to connect the brain with computers. Braincomputer Interface (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send orders to machines.
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, showed a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person's thoughts.
In the laboratory (实验室), Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts.
"Our brain has billions of nerve cells. These send signals through the spinal cord (脊髓) to the muscles (肌肉) to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord damage or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles." Tavella says. "Our system allows disabled people to communicate with outer world and also to control devices (装置).
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp (头皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer analyzes the signals and orders the smart wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that sense objects on its way. They help the computer respond to orders from the brain.
Prof. Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that analyzes brain signals and turns them into simple orders. "The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two types: communication, and controlling devices. One example is this wheelchair."
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology which is good for them. And the other is to make sure that they can use the technology over long periods of time.
