Paralysed Man Controls Drone with His Mind

A 69-year-old man with paralysis and a brain implant managed to control a virtual drone using only his thoughts. By thinking about movement, he was able to navigate complex obstacles with the help of a specially designed device, according to the published experimental results.

The high-performance interface was created to decode finger movements and control a quadcopter. The experiment participant navigated obstacle courses by sending neural signals through tiny electrode arrays implanted in his brain.

Researchers developed a system capable of decoding four different dimensions of control from brain signals. This level is comparable to what gamers achieve using physical controllers.

“Just as able-bodied users employ their fingers to control keyboards and game controllers, this system provides an intuitive foundation for a brain-controlled digital interface, offering opportunities for leisure and communication, as well as a sense of empowerment,” experts assert.

When a person thinks about moving their fingers, neurons in the motor cortex emit electrical signals. Even if the body is paralysed, these signals still exist. The system reads them to perform actions.

The technology is not new. One of the most well-known companies in this field is Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk.

In August 2024, its second patient, a few weeks post-surgery, learned to play video games and use software for designing 3D objects.

Earlier in September, a patient from the neurotechnology company Synchron was able to control electronic devices with support from Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa.