The same process is used to get the robot to pick up an object and return to a specific
location.
Currently, the thought commands are limited to a few basic
instructions. But so far, the robot responds to those instructions with 94 percent accuracy.
But using the P300 response may not be the most efficient way of
controlling a robot, said Paul Sajda, associate professor in
the department of biomedical engineering at Columbia University in New
York.
"The signals related to eye movements are 1,000 times stronger than
scalp ECG," he said. So unless the controlling person is completely immobile,
"you're better off using an eye tracker, which could be mounted on a
pair of glasses."
However, Sajda does think the P300 response is an important avenue to
explore, as it could lead to a better understanding of other signals,
such as the "N170," triggered when a person recognizes a face.
