It’s hard to share good news about having a stroke, but we think this is Great news for the 795,000 people in the US who suffer from a stroke every year … the University of Houston has been testing and validating a new, low cost portable brain computer interface that you can use at home! It “connects the brain of stroke patients to powered exoskeletons for rehabilitation purposes” and is wireless and easy to use. The EEG-based BCI (brain computer interface) essentially “reads your mind, interpreting the brain’s activity to initiate robotic movement.” Even better news – “the adjustable headset, designed from commercial off-the-shelf components, can accommodate 90% of the population.” Being able to have the rehabilitation at home solves many needs. Most commercial EEG-based BCI systems are very expensive and immobile, but with this new patent-pending device, stroke patients can be in the comfort of their home and not sacrifice the importance of having a closed-loop operation and interoperability.
For those who want the more scientific explanation, “In the current prototype, five EEG electrodes were incorporated in the electrode bracket spanning the sensorimotor cortices and three skin sensors were included to measure eye movement and blinks. An inertial movement unit, measuring head motion, allows for a portable brain-body imaging system for BCI applications. ”
But if you want all the details provided in the UH article, go HERE