Use of Brain-Computer Interface, Virtual Avatar Could Help People with Gait
  Disabilities
From: Medical Design Technology - 08/24/2017

Researchers from the University of Houston have shown for the first time that
the use of a brain-computer interface augmented with a virtual walking avatar
can control gait, suggesting the protocol may help patients recover the
ability to walk after stroke, some spinal cord injuries, and certain other
gait disabilities.

Researchers said the work, done at the University's Non-Invasive
Brain-Machine Interface System Laboratory, is the first to demonstrate that a
brain-computer interface can promote and enhance cortical involvement during
walking.

Researchers collected data from eight healthy subjects, all of whom
participated in three trials involving walking on a treadmill while watching
an avatar displayed on a monitor. The volunteers were fitted with a
64-channel headset and motion sensors at the hip, knee, and ankle joints.

The avatar first was activated by the motion sensors, allowing its movement
to precisely mimic that of the test subject. In later tests, the avatar was
controlled by the brain-computer interface, meaning the subject controlled
the avatar with his or her brain.

The avatar perfectly mimicked the subject's movements when relying upon the
sensors, but the match was less precise when the brain-computer interface was
used.

Read the entire article at:
https://www.mdtmag.com/news/2017/08/use-brain-computer-interface-virtual-avatar-could-help-people-gait-disabilities

Links:
Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal
http://www.ece.uh.edu/faculty/contreras-vidal

BRAIN Center
http://brain.egr.uh.edu

Non-Invasive Brain-Machine Interface Systems Laboratory
http://www2.egr.uh.edu/~nbmis

Brain-Computer Interface Demonstrates Potential to Help Control Gait
http://www.rehabpub.com/2017/08/brain-computer-interface-demonstrates-potential-help-control-gait