TI showcase Mind Controlled Motorised Wheelchair

Bangalore, Nov 29 (UNI) Bringing hope to severely disabled people who have little or no ability to speak, Texas Instruments introduced the world's first 'thought-controlled' motorised wheelchair at its tenth Developers Conference here today.

The motorised wheelchair is not controlled mechanically or even by speech but guided by thought and by a 'slight movement' of the Adam's apple. This technology had been made possible by solutions developed by Ambient Corporation based on a microcontroller developed by TI.

When a person intends to communicate, an implanted sensor/larynx control system 'reads' the electrical signals that the brain uses to command the larynx to speak. The sensor then processes and sends this information to a computer which carries out a direct command in the form of motor control. To make a wheelchair move left, right, back or forward, one simply needs to think about these actions and make a slight movement of the Adam's apple.

The two day conference showcased the unique applications of Texas Instrument's breakthrough analog and signal processing technologies.

Some of the technologies showcased at the meet included surveillance IP cameras, High Definition Television and medical imaging.

''Applications such as these demonstrate how innovative technology can better the lives of disadvantaged people'', Praveen Ganapathy, Director - Corporate Business Development, TI India said.

(Ed: Pickup suitably from MC 18) UNI