Telekinesis: Mind over Mechanics

1. Telekinesis: Mind over Mechanics Kasey Jones

2. The discovery • Thanks to researchers from the Minnesota College of Science and Engineering, the theme of science fiction is becoming excitingly more a part of reality and fading from the ignorance fiction. • Telekinesis was predominantly thought to be unheard of or, like previously stated, something out of a science fiction novel. • Advances in technology, especially since electroencephalographs have made this false reality become true.

3. Using a noninvasive technique that harnesses brainwaves, known as electroencephalography, five students control the motion of a helicopter using only the controller’s mind. • Facing in the opposite direction of the helicopter, students were able to move the vehicle in various directions by IMAGINING themselves moving solely their left and right hands, or both hands in sync. • Eventually, participants were able to control the robot to pass through rings while watching the image of the flight onscreen.

4. This remote controlled robot, with a nose mounted camera, turns right and left, moves up down, and flies through rings all on commands from a controller. • The controller uses a special instrument --the controller’s mind.

5. At the University of Minnesota, Dr. Bin He and his team have engineered a non invasive system (brain computer interface) that allows a person to control a robot using only their thoughts. • Dr. He’s team includes Alex Doud and Karl LaFleur who state, for example, if you “imagine making a fist with your right hand, it turns the robot to the right. And if you imagine making a fist with both hands, it moves the robot up.”

6. How ? • When the controller imagines a movement without actually moving, specific neurons in the brain’s motor cortex produce electric currents.

7. These currents are detected by electrodes in an EEG cap which sends the signals to the computer.

8. The computer translates this signal pattern into a command and beams it to the robot via Wi-Fi.

9. WHY? • This brain computer interface technology is all about helping people with disabilities or various neurodegenerative diseases. • Dr. He et. Al.’s future vision for this technology is to help these people regain mobility, independence and enhance performance. • They would use this technology to control wheel chairs, artificial limbs, and other devices.

10. Impact • This has tremendous potential for people who can’t move or speak. • And the best part is it’s completely noninvasive—nobody has to have a chip implanted in their brain to pick up the neuronal activity! 

11. Prevailing view • Before technological devices were invented to pick up brain waves (EEGs), the prevailing thought on scientific telekinesis seemed absurd. • If they could not see or understand how the mechanisms of any device physically ran, people disregarded it– out of sight--out of mind-- type phenomena. • Until the physical “proof” that electroencephalographs portrayed, many people did not accept that fact that a person could control any device solely with their mind.

12. references • "10 Recent Scientific Advances That Signal The Future." Listverse. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. • Hoebee, Shelby. "Telekinesis." Video blog post. LISTVERSE. N.p., 12 July 2013. Web. • He, Bin, Dr. Telekinesis. 4 Mar. 2013. Raw data. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.