New MIT system controls robots using brain signals alone

MIT researchers have developed a way for humans to control robots with their mind. The new system can detect when a person notices a robot making a mistake, and classifies these brain waves almost instantly to provide feedback. In tests with a robot named Baxter, the researchers found that the new technique helped the humanoid to make correct choices during an object-sorting task – and it could one day allow humans to wordlessly communicate with robots. MIT researchers have developed a way for humans to control robots with their mind. As the robot, Baxter, attempts to sort objects between'Paint' or'Wire' bins, the system looks for brain signals from the human observer known as'error-related potentials.' Once an error has been detected, machine-learning algorithms can sort these brain waves in just 10 to 30 milliseconds to provide feedback.