Mind Controlled Electric Power Steering

Abstract: In the United States, there are roughly 291,000 people living with a spinal cord injury as of 2019 [1]. Of these people, over 66% of them suffer from either incomplete or complete tetraplegia [1]. Tetraplegia, or more commonly known quadriplegia, is a term used to describe the inability to move or feel both the upper and lower parts of one’s body, such as the arms, chests, legs, and feet [2] [3]. Adjusting to a new life for people who have lost the ability of both their arms and legs can be very difficult [4]. One of the activities lost from tetraplegia is the ability to drive a vehicle. In this work, we have considered brainwave activity alongside pose tracking software to control an electric motor and to simulate steering a vehicle. Controlling an electric motor represents the electric power steering system. Electric power steering systems work by determining how much torque needs to be input into a steering wheel to alter the direction a vehicle [5]. By combining two distinctive trends of total brainwave activity and the direction that a subject’s head is facing, we study a potential solution to ease the lives of disabled Americans.

Keywords: Electroencephalogram, brainwave, driver monitoring, electric power steering, mind, tetraplegia, pose tracking.