Brain Controlled Drone Tech – What Next?

24 May

Imagine watching competitors race aerial vehicles using only the power of their minds!  Does that sound space age to you?  To many it might, but the reality is that recently, 16 people showed the world how they could fly drones with latest tech and just their thoughts.

The event was held at the University of Florida in April 2016 and involved the pilots / competitors racing their drones over a 10m stretch, using a brain controlled interface (BCI).  Those who witnessed it were nothing short of amazed.

How did it work? 

The participants were seated behind a computer screen, wearing headsets and sensors – their white drones just ahead of them.  On the computer screen was a series of cubes.  The pilots could spur their drones into action by fixing their thoughts on pushing the cubes.

Chris Crawford who is a PhD student at the university, expressed the desire to make people more aware of BCI capabilities.  In his words, “BCI was a technology that was geared specifically for medical purposes, and in order to expand this to the general public, we need to embrace these consumer-brand devices and push them to the limit” and it seems that many agree.

BCI is not completely new to the tech world.  In fact, mind controlled technology already helps paralysed people to effectively move their prosthetic limbs.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is certainly in full swing.  Everyone and everything is connected and it’s easy to see how BCI technology can make this type of connectivity even more efficient and convenient.  Imagine being able to browse the internet, unlock your car or turn on a home appliance all with the power of your mind!  The simple thought of this mind power though brings a few safety concerns to mind – with such unlimited possibilities, anything could happen.

At Soteria Cloud we are eager to see how BCI technology will be changing our lives in the future, and one that is not so far away.  We would love to hear your thoughts on brain controlled technology – how would you feel about controlling technology with a thought?

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