Brain-controlled helicopter takes mental concentration to new heights

Brain-controlled helicopter takes mental concentration to new heights

www.cnn.com

(CNN) -- A toy helicopter controlled by nothing but brainwaves could be available to the public just in time to hover under this year's Christmas tree.

Currently touted on crowd-funding website Kickstarter -- where it has already exceeded its pledge goal twice over -- the Orbit comes equipped with an electroencephalography (EEG) headset, capable of reading electrical activity along the scalp.

"As you focus your mind on something -- whether it be a math equation or the lyrics of a song -- your brain produces electric signals," explains Steve Cattelotti, CEO and co-founder of Puzzlebox, the

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Read this and thought it was pretty incredible. Using your brain to control devices is something pretty crazy and you don't hear about everyday. Science is amazing.

Then I got to thinking about what military capabilities could be formed from this. Just imagine the gov't and military using drones this way. Granted the drones would have to be attached to the scalp via those cables. But when and if we somehow could intercept our brainwaves via wireless connection that could create some crazy avatar stuff.




Science is crazy and awesome.

-SAP-

www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

This item will be good for those who want essentially an executive toy, or something to flex the big grey muscle with. But with only very limited controls (lift off and elevate, or drop and land) this item will become tiresome after a while for those who buy it, and will be immediately annoying to those who have had previous expirience with RC models.

As proof of concept, of course it is astounding! But if I was the person developing this technology for use in a flying vehicle, wether large or small, I would not consider marketing it until I had installed the capacity to control the vehicle in a more comprehensive manner.

This science of neural connectivity is fascinating. As we continue to learn, understand, and develop the technologies the applications will be limitless.

I can see us one day wearing a universal remote, in the form of a blue-tooth earpiece for example, which will be used to connect us to everything around our home from the television to our vehicles, thereby allowing us to control the operation of things with our thoughts.

I've seen headsets for computer interfaces, and there are some other products available that are more for amusement purposes.

Man are we getting lazy!

reply to post by Lonewulph


Indeed it cool stuff. I was also thinking this could have some benefits for handicapped people as well. People who are in wheelchairs could use this technology to move themselves around.

I am not sure if this is already being used by some, like Stephen Hawking for example, but I could see this having great medical benefits too.

-SAP-

Ok I admit I found the title misleading and thought the OP was referring to a "real" live helicopter. And I thought to myself, hell no - what if the pilot had a brain fart mid air? Anyway, now that I have read the article...awesome!!! science is awesome and I love hearing stuff like this! What an amazing discovery.

I had another thought - I work in addiction and mental health and we have students with severe mental health issues. I wonder if these toys would be therapeutic for them? Like those children with severe autism. Would they be able to control these toys? Food for fodder.