Neuroscience

Posts tagged brain painting device

May 26, 2013

Painting through the power of thought enabled by scientists

To the viewer it is an accomplished semiabstract image of flowers and clouds, but in fact this painting was produced by a paralysed woman solely through the power of thought.

Heide Pfützner, a former teacher from Leipzig, Germany, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Motor Neurone Disease, yet she has managed to produce a series of the paintings with the aid of a new brain controlled computer.

She has been trained to master the device that uses brain waves to take control of a palette of colours, shapes and brushes to produce digital artworks.

Building on decades of knowledge about the meaning of the tiny electrical impulses created by the brain during thought, scientists have been able to create a computer programme which translates thoughts into electronic images.

As well as helping patients with progressive brain diseases like Mrs Pfützner, other users of the device include those who are “locked in” to a physically unresponsive state and therefore unable to communicate with the rest of the world.

The system works by detecting changes in the pattern of the user’s brain waves to allow them to select options in software and to move a cursor around a screen in front of them.