Looking Ahead: The Future Looks Mobile with Mind Controlled Wheelchairs

Mind Controlled Wheelchair

You know how in some versions of X-Men Prof. Xavier is able to control his wheelchair with his telekinetic abilities? It makes you wish that it was that easy to give mobility to those that paralyzed. But if Toyota has anything to say about it, it may very well become that easy. Toyota has teamed up with researchers in Japan to create the world’s fastest EEG sensor. The prototype is capable of interpreting specific brain waves in as little as 125 milliseconds. That’s virtually instantaneous, allowing user’s to command the chair to turn left of right on a whim. The command to stop the chair is for the user to simply puff out their check, an action tracked by a separate component. The technology has largely focused on tracking brain waves associated with imaginary hand and foot operations, but Toyota hopes to develop a similar devices that is based on emotional feedback. Toyota hopes to see the chair go into commercial production in the health care industry.

Projecting Phones

Portable projectors are picking up steam these days. Whether it’s an add on for the iPhone or an appendage to your laptop, these shows-on-the-go devices can really come in handy. So it’s interesting to see the potential for one more thing to be rolled into the all-in-one smartphone as researchers reveals a miniature OLED projector capable of fitting into most cell phones. The current prototype can display a monochrome image at 10,000 candelas per square inch, while the colour image is half that brightness. There’s no word on when or if the technology will make it to the market, but it really seems as though it’s only a matter of time.

The Woodway EcoMill

In a way, treadmills are a funny thing. They consume energy just so you can expend energy. Well, the Woodway EcoMill hopes to rectify that. Free from power cord, this EcoMill charges its batteries from your exercise-energy, ensuring your workout is entirely off the grid. What’s more, the Woodway EcoMill is already commercially available. So, what’s it doing in this ‘Looking Ahead’ feature? With it’s $8,500 price tag, you’d best start looking ahead by padding your savings account if your interested in picking up this eco-friendly exercise machine.