Students at the University of South Florida (USF) have taken brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to new heights by controlling drones with the power of their thoughts. The 2019 USF Brain-Drone Race, held on February 9, brought together teams from across the university to compete in a unique test of mental prowess and technological innovation.
The event, organized by USF Assistant Professor Marvin Andujar, PhD, from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, highlighted the astounding capabilities of modern BCI technology. Andujar, who spearheaded the inaugural Brain-Drone Race in 2016, emphasized the significance of the competition in advancing neuro-technologies.
“It’s been amazing to see how much interest there’s been in the field since our first Brain-Drone Race,” Andujar said. “For us, the racing is a way to introduce young people, students and others to this technology and hopefully spur more research into neuro-technologies.”
How It Works:
The concept of controlling drones with the mind might sound like science fiction, but it is rooted in a combination of neuroscience and computer science. BCIs, a term coined in the 1970s, create a communication pathway between the brain and external devices. These systems read the brain’s electrical signals—generated when we think or move—and translate them into commands for devices such as drones, computers, or prosthetic limbs.
This technology is electroencephalography (EEG), a method of recording electrical activity in the brain. During the Brain-Drone Race, participants wore EEG headbands that detected their brainwave patterns. Each pilot’s thoughts were interpreted as commands to control the drone. For instance, imagining pushing an object forward would signal the drone to move in that direction.
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Carlos Alvarado, a participant in the race, described the experience as “awesome” and “ridiculous,” capturing the thrill of piloting a drone with sheer mental focus. “The whole brain-drone race thing is crazy,” Alvarado said. “It’s awesome, like flying a drone with your brain, it’s ridiculous.”
“When you imagine a movement, your brain produces the same electrical activity as if you were performing the movement with you muscles,” Andujar said. “For drone-racing, we have our pilots imagine they’re pushing an object forward. Then, we capture that signal, classify it and send the information to the drone, which has already been programmed to move when it receives that data.”
While the Brain-Drone Race showcases the exciting possibilities of BCIs, the technology has profound implications beyond recreational use. In the medical field, BCIs are used to control prosthetic limbs, assist with communication in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, and even restore partial sight to vision-impaired individuals.
“From a computer science perspective, there is really an endless number of ways you can apply these systems,” he said. “You can use BCIs in a smart home to open and close doors with your brain. Or, have the environment adapt to you based on your brain activity. It’s pretty incredible to think about what’s possible when you combine biology and neuroscience with technology.”
