Paralysed Woman Uses Mind to Operate a Robot

Sharon Moore December 18, 2012

Robots are defined as mechanical agents that are capable of doing complex tasks automatically. However, unlike humans, robots only do things they are programmed to do – and it’s because they don’t have brains. But what if a robot uses the human brain to work? Does it become extra powerfu? Can humans use it to their advantage?

Looks like, they can. Jan Scheuermann, 52, from Pittsburgh, who was diagnosed with a degenerative disorder 13 years ago that caused her body (from neck down) to be paralysed, was overwhelmed with joy after being able to carry out simple tasks such as taking a bite of a chocolate bar. Guess what she used – a robotic arm! What’s more interesting is that she operated the robot only through her mind.

Mind-controlled Robots

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre implanted two microelectrode devices into Scheuermann’s left motor cortex – the brain region responsible for initiating movements. The electrodes were connected to a computer-operated arm machine that translates brain signals like the way a healthy brain controls the limbs. Michael Boninger, co-researcher, says the technology uses an algorithm that accurately translates the brain signals. While Scheuermann was being asked to think of lifting her robotic arm, the researchers looked at her brain through a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine to determine which part of her brain reacts as she commands the robot to move.

It took two weeks for Scheuermann to master controlling the hand, but she was able to make it move after two days. She can now do other tasks such as picking objects, moving them to targeted position, and orientating them. Researchers said Scheuermann does these things with 91.6% accuracy.

According to the scientists who trained Scheuermann, she was able to operate the robotic arm with a level of control and fluidity that is so close to a real human. This advancement has never been seen before in the same technology, they said.

Endless Possibilities

"At the end of a good day, when she was making these beautiful movements, she was ecstatic.” says Andrew Schwartz, professor of neurobiology at Pittsburgh University, one of the researchers who trained Scheuermann.

These ground-breaking results open up the possibility of developing prosthetics that are directly controlled by the human brain. In other experiments, patients were able to type or write by simply thinking of the letters they want.

Scientists also believe that this technology can even be used to bypass nerve damage and awaken a person’s paralysed muscles. Just last month, Swiss researchers were able to make a blind patient read by implanting electrodes on his retina.

The scientists who trained Scheuermann said they are planning to incorporate wireless technology to eliminate the need of attaching wires to the patients head when operating the mind-controlled prosthetics. They also think of adding a sensory loop to the machine to enable patients to determine hot surfaces from cold, and rough surfaces from smooth.

Though plenty of challenges lie ahead, these sorts of systems are rapidly approaching the point of clinical fruition," says Grégoire Courtine from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, who was not involved in the study.

In the meantime, researchers said the technology would still use robotic ‘exoskeletons’ to allow people with mobility disabilities to walk or move.

Dear Readers,

Is the mind much more powerful than we anticipated? What more can we understand about the mind?

Share your comments below!

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Woman able to operate robotic arm using thoughts alone