Background

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gherig’s disease, brainstem stroke, brain an spinal cord injury, are diseases or conditions that may potentially impair the neural pathways that control muscles thus preventing movement. Quadraplegics and some paraplegics face the problem with not being able to control their chairs because of their conditions. The brain contains billions of neurons that when excited can shoot off electrical signals that can be read and interpreted by a proper device. Brain-computer interfaces (BCI’s) are devices designed to provide a form of mobility to individuals affected by the aforementioned conditions.

Problem Statement

Currently, there are other ways to control the movement of a wheelchair. Other methods include ocular, sip-n-puff,  and others. Unfortunately, while these are viable ways of controlling the chair, ocular control can be difficult to command and maneuver simultaneously. Sip-n-puff is also difficult to control and requires practice from the user. It can also be uncomfortable for the users and.  Therefore, our goal is to create a device that will use brain signals to command the wheelchair. It will enable those who lack the ability to control their extremities but still contain the mental capacity to operate the device.