Modern technology is taking us to a place where anything is possible. Can you think of controlling a gadget with your brain? I know everybody would say that is only possible in science fiction movies. But, researchers of Tekever, a leading drone maker company in Portugal has made this into reality. They actually flew a drone in Portugal just using the waves coming from the brain. The whole project was named as ‘Project Brainflight’ and was led by Tekever in Portugal.
They used high-performance electroencephalogram (EEG) systems to measure specific parts of the brain that work with ‘specially conceived algorithms’ to convert brain signals into drone commands. EEG detects electrical activity in certain parts of the brain, and after several months of training, the pilots can teach their brains how to move a small circle on a computer screen up or down, which then steers the drone to the left or right.
"Essentially, the electricity flowing through the pilot's brain acts as an input to the drone's control system, in order to perform, on the air." a Tekever statement says. “We truly believe that Brainflight represents the beginning of a tremendous step change in the aviation field, empowering pilots and de-risking missions, and we’re looking forward to deliver these benefits to the market with highly innovative products.”
It is the first-time technology like this has been shown off in public and the company believes that in the immediate future, it will allow people with disabilities to control air crafts. The company has grand ambitions about its system uses in the future, predicting that it could one day replace pilots in larger jets, including cargo planes and even commercial air crafts, but the obstacles are tremendous as well.
They have to get the permission of the aviation consultants. They also need to earn the trust of the public, and that is quite tough as many people might not be interested to hand over their lives to a pilot sitting a thousand miles away. So let’s see how Tekever tackles everything and lead their own path toward the future. But, it’s true that they have invented groundbreaking technology.