Wheelchair steered by brain waves

Toyota makes a wheelchair steered by brain waves:
Toyota and Japanese research foundation RIKEN have teamed up to create a revolutionary wheelchair steered by mind control. This remarkable development is one of the first practical uses of EEG (Electro-encephalogram) signals.
Designed for people with severe disabilities, the Toyota/RIKEN wheelchair is fitted with an EEG detector in the form of a electrode array skull cap, a cheek puff detector and a display that assists with control. To turn left, right and move forward, the driver simply thinks about the movement and the wheelchair instantly and seamlessly responds. To stop the wheelchair, the driver puffs his/her cheek. A detector on the face picks up the signal and immediately stops the wheelchair. This form of braking is necessary for safety reasons as a puff detector is more reliable than the EEG reader.

Why brain waves are difficult to work with
Previous attempts all around the world to use brain waves to control devices have only been partially successful. One of the biggest problems with EEG signals is that on the surface of the skull they are in the order of micro-volts (millionth of a volt) and prone to electrical noise. Another problem is that reliable and repeatable placement of EEG electrodes on specific areas above the brain is hard to achieve.

The breakthrough
Toyota and RIKEN have made a breakthrough in the field by refining the analysis algorithms, signal processing and noise elimination to the point that their device can detect discreet thought processes and use them to trigger events such as driving a wheelchair forward, left or right.

Check out the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VPY1d2t_FE&feature=player_embedded
Read more at: http://www.gizmag.com/toyota-wheelchair-powered-brain-waves/12121/