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Author Topic: Mind Control of boat  (Read 2811 times)

flashtwo

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Mind Control of boat
« on: April 01, 2015, 12:11:28 am »

Hi Mayhemers,

Following on from TailUK’s suggestion in the Voice Command thread ( see http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,50087.0.html ), I’ve been carrying out some research and I’m now developing a rudimentary control of the boat using Mind Control.

Many years ago, an old school friend who was a lecturer at the London School of Pharmacology (now part of University of London) demonstrated to me how to measure the speed of an electrical pulse along the sciatic nerve of a freshly dissected frog. You place the nerve into a small saline bath and inject electrical pulses at one end and measured the output at the other. With an oscilloscope you could see the delay quite clearly.

The problem with connecting the signal wires was to avoid bio-electro-chemistry from generating interfering voltages, so he used platinum wires, although stainless was ok for short periods.
Well, with this little bit of experience, I’ve managed to measure the nerve pulses in my forearm by (wait for it!) piecing the skin (SWMBO at the ready with plasters) and inserting some fine stainless wire close to the muscle. They look good on the ‘scope, if a little bit noisy.

You’d be surprised at the similarity between nerve theory and electronics. That same friend of mine had trouble reading some scientific papers on nerve cell modelling. I recognised immediately that a class of mathematics called Laplace Transforms were being used – so I lent him my old college notes, plus the Transform conversion book, and he managed to model the nerves much like an electronic circuit, each component representing a cell wall chemical pathway.

Back to my experiments – I’ve connected the raw electrical signal to an FET amplifier and are now in the process of programming a PIC to analyse the pulses to achieve at least Left and Right commands for controlling the boat. It is quite awkward trying to type in computer code with the electrical wires still connected to the forearm.

I will have to integrate the “Mind” control with my Voice command system.

SWMBO did suggest that I would get better control by inserting the electrical probes into the frontal cortex of my brain – I think I’d better sterilize my mini-drill before doing that!


Ian
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grasshopper

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Re: Mind Control of boat
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2015, 12:25:13 am »

Didn't this get discussed before in the 90's somebody did an article in RCM&E magazine flying model aeroplanes wearing a helmet with sensors in, scientist went by the name of Prof. Lipra Loof.
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NFMike

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Re: Mind Control of boat
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2015, 01:35:53 am »

I think maybe you should change your forum name to "flashtwo-of-seven"  O0

dreadnought72

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Re: Mind Control of boat
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2015, 01:39:34 am »

Best April 1st EVER!

Andy
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tigertiger

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Re: Mind Control of boat
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2015, 02:21:40 am »

"Can I have a go of your boat mate"
"Ok, I don't mind"
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Netleyned

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Re: Mind Control of boat
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2015, 07:55:19 am »

Don't matter if it sinks
I won't mind  %% %%

Ned
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flashtwo

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Re: Mind Control of boat
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2015, 08:25:58 am »

Bad news I'm afraid!

Further research has persuaded me to seriously reconsider the development............

From an article on website BetterHumans.com (dated April 2003)......

"A software developer from Houston, Texas has become the first human to contract a computer virus, microbiologists have confirmed. John Newman, an employee of vTouch Systems, came into contact with the virus through the use of a neural interface that his company is developing. Avril DuChamps, a spokesperson for vTouch Systems, confirmed yesterday at a press conference that Newman had come down with the virus. All activities at vTouch have been suspended until further notice."

I shall contact my friend at the London School of Pharmacology regarding suitable precautions!

Ian



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BarryM

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Re: Mind Control of boat
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2015, 08:54:42 am »

It will never work here. Not least because it has been said that many Forum contributors have already waved goodbye to their minds, others are in two minds and the rest wander around asking "Do I come here often?" - but I couldn't possibly comment.  %%  %%

Barry M
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