The illusive man

Abstract

This research paper introduces a low cost technique to control an assistive wheel chair for people with neuromuscular impairment by using their brainwaves and eye blinks. This entire system is made wearable and functional in outside lab environment without requirement of technical expert. We are using cheapest (INR 6,800) available NeuroSky Brainwave Mobile (EEG sensor). Instead of using large number of electrode by applying gel between scalp and electrode as done in traditional EEG this sensor uses single non-invasive dry electrode sensor. So it can directly be placed on head and taken off as a head band without any surgery or using any gel making it functional, wearable and portable in outside lab environment . This makes BCI (Brain Computer Interface) much easy to use and affordable. Taking in account that subject has to alter his mental state to control the chair so response to sudden obstacle and hurdles will be difficult and not simultaneously which can be very dangerous in making assistive machine for locomotion in uneven environments. Hence we have added ultrasonic, infrared, LDR (Light Detecting Resistance), temperature, gas, inertial sensor along with EEG sensor. These sensor will do the trajectory mapping and the subject's mental state will control the driving in this safe trajectory, eye blinks will be used for conscious maneuvering of wheel chair and an instantaneous graph showing the subjects mental state would be displayed for feedback. So during subject's conscious state it will be semi-autonomous and in unconscious or sleepy state fully autonomous.