Mind-Controlled Drones

Using artificial intelligence (AI) to interpret brain signals, researchers have found a way to control drones using only thought patterns. What’s more, while other developers have attempted to pilot drones by measuring brain activity, previous systems have only been demonstrated on multi-rotor drones, which can be made to hover while awaiting commands. However, the new technology is fast enough to control fixed wing drones that move continuously through the air.

Fourteen volunteers were trained to pilot the drones by thinking about, but not carrying out, physical actions, including moving their right or left hand, fingers and elbows. An EEG headset recorded the gamma waves that these thought processes activated in the sensory and motor cortex and paired each with a specific drone command. If the pattern was determined to be clear enough, a signal was sent to steer the drone as it flew through the air.

Although the results varied from pilot to pilot, the algorithm was shown to interpret the instructions with an accuracy of 77 to 98 percent.