Files
Abstract
Mobility can be a challenging issue for those with paralysis resulting from a spinal cord
injury or muscular degeneration. It is especially difficult, or next to impossible, for those with
quadriplegia and unable to move any of their limbs. Restoring mobility to these people would
significantly improve the quality of life for those living with quadriplegia. There have been
several different methods aimed at doing just this. One method is through the use of brain controlled
interfaces. A brain-controlled interface system allows for the user to control an object
through their brain activity, bypassing the need for any physical inputs. Usually some form of an
Electroencephalogram (BEG) is used to capture brain activity and send those signals to a
computer which analyzes the brain waves and activity and generates an output command based
upon those readings. This project uses a skull cap with 8 electrodes, made by Unicom BCI, to
capture brain activity. These readings are sent to a computer mnning MATLAB and Simulink
software to receive and process the brain waves in order to generate commands. Simulink
communicates with an Arduino Uno in order to set certain pins high or low depending on the
desired command. These Arduino pins are connected to a pair of motor drivers which control the
speed and direction of the motors on a powered wheelchair.