Have you ever wondered what it is like controlling objects with the power of your mind?
Brain Awareness Week, celebrated globally on an annual basis to foster public support for brain science between 11 and 17 March, saw groups of students visit laboratories situated across the University of Malta’s Msida Campus where research related to how the brain works or any of its possible functions, is taking place.
In fact, visits were conducted to the Cognitive Science Lab, the Immersion Lab, Undergraduate Psychology lectures, and the Biomedical Lab, whereby students had the unique opportunity to witness first-hand, the dynamism of brain research and get a closer look at research coming to life.
A puppet show was also put up for the young audience, depicting the exciting world of STEM and how far it can help our society function better and improve our own wellbeing.
A special edition of Malta Café Scientifique also focused on the topic, which was “The Science Behind a Cybermind”, featuring a talk by Dr Natasha Padfield from the UM’s Centre for Biomedical Cybernetics at Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta. She described a range of successful examples of brain-controlled devices, including BrainCon, a project taking place at UM.
Dr Padfield described the two types of commands in a brain-controlled device, namely exogenous – that involving external stimulus, and endogenous, that generated by the user themselves.
BCIs are not just tools to conveniently change the TV channel or control PCs and robots without lifting a finger, but present a game-changing stepping-stone in increasing people with disabilities’ quality of life by allowing them to operate devices like wheelchairs and even prosthetics using their mind alone.
You can watch the episode again below: