Disabled patients mind-meld with robots

September 7, 2011 | Source: Science NOW

Semiautonomous robot controlled with the brain waves of paralyzed patients (credit: José del R. Millán)

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) researchers have invented a new, noninvasive method for recording patterns of brain activity and using them to steer a partially autonomous robot so that “locked in” patients can interact with others and appear physically present — without a lot of effort and concentration.