A photo from open sources
To control the power of thought, blurring the line between man and robot, merge with the machine to return to an active life: avatars leave the movie screens to take our place among us. Till it is mainly laboratory tests, but that is not far off the day when new products can really improve the quality of life of people – mainly those whose physical abilities are limited. IN University of Barcelona as part of the European Research scientists bring people and cars closer together using, in particular, skin electrodes and stereo glasses. Thanks to this symbiosis the connected one actually feels “in the body” of the robot, which can be both in the next room, and for thousands kilometers. Says Project Manager Christopher Bloom: “In of this virtual reality you see a different, three-dimensional space. You lower your eyes and see your own body, understand that it responds to signals. And you have the feeling that this is to some extent your own body. This is an interesting phenomenon: your brain perceives mechanical the body is in some way its own. ” Electrodes fixed on the skin of the participant in the experiment, fix electrical impulses of the brain, and thus allow you to control a robot with a simple effort of consciousness. This will allow you to use this technology for people with disabilities.
Young researcher Mar Gonzalez explains: “A set of actions It is offered in the form of such flashing squares, which flare up at different frequencies. The operator can select an action, concentrating on only one of the squares. Frequency outbreaks reflected in the cerebral cortex, and we can, thus to establish which square the person is looking at. ” Another project participant’s opinion: “The computer is configured so that recognize some signals sent by the brain. These signals have a certain meaning: for example, “raise your hand” or “raise the other hand ”,“ go ahead ”and so on. Our idea is to return disabled people to active life in the physical sense. So that they could communicate with others, move around. Despite the fact that they may lie in bed or in a wheelchair. ” Thanks to robot avatars, everyone can travel without leaving from home. But for the effect of presence to be realistic, it is necessary to deceive not only sight, but also other feelings. How it works in practice, demonstrates Daniele Leonardis: “Here we have a stereo camera that allows you to capture a three-dimensional image; head vibration accelerometer and dual microphone, surround sound recording. ” In this laboratory in Pisa researchers are testing a chair that fluctuates synchronously with the image in three-dimensional video. Such vibration should make the feeling of walking in the virtual world more believable. Professor Massimo Bergamasco explains: “Within of this remote movement experiment we are creating an incarnation stand realizing vestibular stimulation and reproducing in this way the sensations recorded in real walking. ” Even greater immersion in the virtual world is possible thanks to robotic exoskeletons and projection rooms, creating a three-dimensional video sphere around the user. The word is to the expert Antonio Frisoli: “Our incarnation stands when we them finalize to the end, provide the user with a wide palette sensations. For example, they will allow you to feel the touch, contact, provide a rich visual and auditory perception. Then there will be completely transmitted the feeling of being in another body, whether a character in a virtual world or a controlled robot in a real life. ” Digital technology can open the virtual world for wheelchair users. But can they change real world, making it more accessible? This is another goal European project in which hundreds of disabled people participate from several countries. Georg Augostidis – from Greece: “We are very pleased that our fellow scientists are engaging us in this project. Such research helps to better understand the needs of people with disabilities and find solutions that facilitate our a life.” Researchers use cameras and sensors to investigate movements. disabled people. Their task is to precisely establish the average limit physical abilities of the participants in the experiment. Georgius Stavropolus deals with this closely: “We examine their motility: in to what extent, for example, do people have arms and legs, how much their joints are mobile. Based on this data, we create statistical model for different diseases – for people with the disease Parkinson’s, for those who have suffered a stroke or are simply elderly people. “Models let you know if such or other physical actions: for example, can a person with a patient back open the glove compartment? “As you can see, he needs to reach here here. However, due to back problems, he cannot deeply bend down, and the result is negative, ”the conclusion of Thanos Tsakiris. Thanks to these models, engineers and industrial designers will be able to better adapt their designs for users with disabilities. “The main goal of the work is to create virtual models that others can use companies, small and medium enterprises – in order to verify whether people with disabilities will be able to use their developments, and when the need to adjust projects, ”the coordinator concludes project Dimitrios Tsovaras. How a man sees a computer screen glaucoma? How does one use his mouse whose hands are poorly obeyed? Understanding the problems of persons with disabilities is the path to a world in which any Opportunities will be open to all.
Life Robots
