Scientists Develop a Device That Sticks to The Scalp, and People Control Wheelchairs, Computers And Vehicles

2019-09-23

[Published in Science by Science and Technology Research]

Scientists have developed a new scalp electronic system, which combines a new nano thin film electrode with flexible electronic technology and deep learning algorithm. This system is a completely portable, wireless and flexible scalp flexible wireless electronic device.

Compared with the existing system, the system is not only convenient, flexible and easy to use, but also can reduce noise and interference, and provide higher data transmission rate.
The electronic system was developed by researchers from the Nature, Machine and Intelligence. They published the research in the September 11th issue of the Journal of natural machine intelligence.

This is an electronic device attached to the neck. It connects the picture through the thin film and the fabric on the top of the head. The picture is: /techxplore






The practical role of this electronic technology
The flexible radio electronics can be fitted to the back of the neck. There are dry electrodes under the fabric hairband and membrane electrodes on the mastoids, which are connected by membrane cables.

Specifically, the system uses fabric straps to fix three elastic scalp electrodes on the head, ultra-thin radio electrons are attached to the neck, and skin-like printed electrodes are placed on the skin below the ear.

In addition, the wearable system can improve the conventional electroencephalogram (EEG) and measure the signals from visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in human brain by using a fully portable wireless brain-computer interface (BMI).


In this way, the scalp device can help disabled people wireless control electric wheelchairs, interact with computers, or operate small robotic vehicles without wearing bulky pole caps, etc.




It is reported that at present, six subjects have participated in the EEG signal ability test of BMI measurement system, and have been evaluated accordingly. However, no tests and studies have been conducted on the disabled.

Future Technological Improvements and Multidisciplinary Applications

Researchers say the next step in this technology will be to improve the electrodes to make the system more accessible to people with motor disabilities. In addition, the technology can also be used in other fields.

 Future research will focus on fully elastic, wireless self-adhesive electrodes that can be mounted on a hairy scalp without any headwear support, while further miniaturizing electronic products to combine more electrodes for other research, the researchers said.


In addition, the EEG system can be reconfigured to monitor motor evoked potentials or motor imagery in subjects with motor disorders, which will be further studied for future therapeutic applications.

In the long run, the system may also have potential for other simpler applications of EEG monitoring, such as sleep research done by Audrey Duarte, associate professor of psychology.

This electroencephalogram monitoring system may also facilitate scientists to monitor human nervous activity in an imperceptible way (as far as possible without disturbance) in the lives of subjects. Instead of wearing bulky, stiff, uncomfortable equipment in the laboratory. Therefore, this system can facilitate scientists to measure sleep-related nerve activity for humans, and also allow us to identify new pathological features, so as to provide more research and solutions.