Brain Power: Toyota develops thought-controlled wheelchair

Autoblog · 2009年06月29日

Brain Power: Toyota develops thought-controlled wheelchair

Filed under: Tech, Toyota, Lifestyle

Toyota Brain Machine Interface Wheelchair - Click above for high-res image gallery

You shouldn't need Professor X-style telekinetic powers to move a wheelchair using only your mind, at least not according to Toyota. The World's Largest Automaker is busily developing its Brain Machine Interface, which uses thought-control and brain wave analysis technologies in an attempt the make life better for elderly or handicapped people.

A series of electrodes are attached to the scalp and measure the brain activities associated with certain thoughts. The BMI then displays those signals on an attached screen and can create a set of instructions that may be useful in all kinds of scenarios, including to move an electric wheelchair.

According to Toyota, the company's BMI technology has advanced to the point where it's practically instantaneous (the delay is just 125 milliseconds), is 95-percent accurate and will adapt itself to any user's thought patterns. Next logical question: How long until our cars come sans pedals and steering wheels? Thanks for the tip, FaLeX!

Gallery: Toyota BMI Wheelchair

[Source: Dawn.com | Photo by YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty]Brain Power: Toyota develops thought-controlled wheelchair originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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