Futuristic devices are the only hope for physically disabled people to lead a close to healthy life. Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) through the non-interventional and interventional devices help physically challenged individuals to control artificial limbs, steer wheel wheelchairs and type messages by arousing neural impulses. Typical brain computer devices that are currently prevalent use electrodes in skull cap to sense brain waves with an EEG machine.
The greatest obstacle of the current available technology is that to activate the brain computer interface device an individual has to rely on external help to turn on and off the EEG-based devices. This means that the physically disabled people are still dependent on external aid that is by no means appealing to their desired independence.
Researchers at Graz University of Technology are working on a BCI device that would use other biological signals to trigger the brain impulses that requires no external help. In a study, the researchers led by Reinhold Scherer tested whether individuals could use voluntary spikes in their hearts to send signals that could turn on a BCI device. The subjects in the trial produced the spikes by breathing rapidly for a short period to activate a BCI, used a prosthetic hand, and then switch it off again.
The results from the trial was quite satisfactory but further study is required before switching over to the new BCI devices that could be activated by manipulating the heart beat.
Source:new scientist
Image:electric wheelchair
