Three participants were enrolled in a small study to verify it. iScience). BMI technology training lasted from two to five month with three sessions per week. Researchers taught participants how to steer a wheelchair using an electric wheelchair and an electroencephalogram cap. To “go left”Participants imagined their hands moving while trying to “go right”They envisioned moving their feet. U.S. News & World Report.
Volunteers steered their wheelchairs with 43%-55% accuracy during the first BMI training session (iScience). Researchers found that participants performed better as feedback training was continued. One participant was able to accurately identify 95% of the participants, while another volunteer could correctly identify 98% of them (iScience). The accuracy of the other participant remained constant throughout training, shares NewScientist.
When analyzing the EEGs, the researchers note that they also saw an increase in distinctive brain signals for participants with high accuracy (via U.S. News & World Report). “There will be people who will learn it very fast and very well, then there will be others who will need more time to learn, such as Person 2, but I think anyone can learn to do it,” explains senior investigator, José Millán, to NewScientist.
Mind-controlled wheelchairs could be a game changer for paralyzed people, but more research is needed. In order to be effective, it needs to be easy and applicable, and people are still working on this, Sawyer tells U.S. News & World Report.