How These Students Are Racing Drones Sounds Straight Out Of A Sci-Fi Film
The future is here...and it's freaky.
On April 16, the University of Florida hosted the world's first mind-controlled drone race. After strapping on a brain-wave measuring headset, 16 pilots competed to drive drones across an indoor basketball court using nothing but the powers of their minds.
This may sound like a scene from an "Eagle Eye" meets "Matilda" mashup movie, but we swear it's real life. And the force behind it isn't some kind of evil robot magic. These drones are powered by Brain Computer Interface (BCI), the same technology used in brain-controlled prosthetic limbs.
How it works: The electroencephalogram (EEG) headsets worn by participants are designed to pick up on electrical activity linked with specific thoughts, such as pushing a table across the floor. Then, computer codes turn these electrical signals into actionable commands that are sent to the drones. So, when the pilot thinks about pushing a table across the floor, the drone moves forward. Voilà!
Check out Vocativ's video below to see the mind-controlled drones in action.
Leaders in the field are hoping brain-controlled technology can be applied to even more everyday uses in the future. I'm hoping they mean something like this:
That's my kind of mind control.