Love Is A Decision of The Heart

While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk about — the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere two feet away from me. Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jet way, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family. First, he hugged his three children, one-by-one. After several moments, he handed his baby daughter to his oldest son and declared, "I've saved the best for last!" and preceded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed. "I love you so much!"They stared at each other's eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't possibly be. I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm's length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, "Wow! How long have you two been married?" "Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those," he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face. "Well then, how long have you been away?" I asked. The man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile. "Two whole days!" "Two days?" I was stunned.

By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he'd been gone for at least several weeks – if not months. I know my expression betrayed me. I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!" The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, "Don't hope, friend… decide!" Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, "God bless!"  (A Fifth Portion of Chicken Soup for the Soul by M. D. Hargrove; www.bluinc.com)

Love is a decision of the heart. Lovers, family and friends emotionally challenge us in ways that make us question the strength of our love ~ the size of our heart. This is the nature of love. Love demands that we grow and stretch ourselves in ways we never imagined. This is especially true when it comes to romantic relating.

In the beginning……

When we first fall in love, we are infatuated with our lovers' looks and ways of being. Even, their idiosyncrasies are dear to us. We hang on every word and relish the chance of losing ourselves—sexually, emotionally, and spiritually. There's nothing quite as exhilarating as the early stages of a romantic relationship. We can fall emotionally hard and quickly. But, who is it really for whom we are falling?

We are falling for our own fantasies of the ideal lover. There is an idea of an Adonis or a Venus inside all of us. We wait just for the right lover to come along who is a perfect match with the lover of our minds. Never mind that they talk with food in their mouths, are messy, refuse to put the cap on the toothpaste, or close the toilet seat after using it. It is easy, at first, to conveniently overlook features of our lovers that show them to be less than Adonis or Venus. They are so adorable to us. At least, this is the situation for now.

Falling in love is not hard. But, staying in love—growing and deepening it—is. Most of us are not taught how to emotionally stretch ourselves in order to grow and deepen love, unless we were raised by the couple in my opening story. The honeymoon phase of love, when nothing else matters, fades after a few months or a few years of being together (The Early Stages Of Falling In Love: Euphoric, Endangered, Exhausting). Now, your relationship differences seem undoable to you, like you are trying to force a square peg into a round hole. This is often the point where people break up, because the next phase of love asks them to love the person they have found, rather than the person they first imagined their lovers to be. For some people, this is too hard of a task, psychologically and spiritually. It is not easy to develop love beyond a state of good feelings to a promise. It is not that you stop feeling love. It is more that to keep that feeling alive, love is asking you to decide for it.

How Deep Is Your Love?

No matter how much love there is in the beginning of a relationship, raising children, money pressures, and never ending needs and desires emerging in our romantic partners, and in us, have to be considered and negotiated so that the relationship continues to thrive. Everyday we are asked to decide for the relationship—for its future. The needs, desires, and requests of our partners often conflict with ours, so that the integrity of our commitment to each other is challenged. How will we decide? Will we find solutions that make them and ourselves happy? Or, will we dig in our heels and say no to the relationship?

The answer to these questions is no easy task, as many of you know. It means that we may have to loosen up our fixed ideas and beliefs and emotionally stretch ourselves in ways we never thought we would or was possible. But, when we decide to love, we can move mountains—inside of us.

As many of you know, I've been with my husband 26 years now, 24 of which we have been married. Through the years, daily stresses and changes going on inside of him and me have repeatedly led us to ask: "And, today, how shall we decide?" Does this mean that we haven't loved, because we have to ask ourselves the question as to the meaning of our love as the relationship is challenged? No. It is our conscious decision to love each day that leads us to emotionally stretch ourselves enough to preserve the integrity of our love.

Reflections On The Decision To Love

If you are in the midst of a relationship stress or trouble that is making you question the depth of your love, I want you to ask yourself the questions that follow. Only you can decide what this difficult period in your relationship means to you. But, let the questions that follow deepen your appreciation of all that is involved in growing a romantic relationship, so that you can DECIDE consciously what is right for you.

1. Is your idealization of your lover waning? Is the trouble you are having now that you cannot reconcile the person whom you have really found versus the person who was a projection of your fantasy lover? If so, remember, this is a normal transition period in a romantic relationship. This doesn't mean the relationship wasn't meant to be and should end. Whether it is meant to be is really up to both of you. What are your reactions to this seemingly negative change in the quality of your love? Do you feel hopeless and taking this change as a sign that the relationship is over? Hold on! You may be jumping a ship that isn't sinking; it's just moving to calmer, deeper waters.
2. Examine perceptions of your lover, today. How are you DECIDING to see him or her? Are you viewing differences between both of you as unmovable roadblocks? Does your intolerance of who they really are speak more to YOUR unwillingness to grow and change than to their actual imperfections? The way that you are deciding to see the person or situation may be only a justification for running away from your commitment to the relationship. Remember, losing ourselves to the couple, the partnership, isn't easy. It takes great ego strength to be able to let go of the normal defenses that have protected us up through this point in life. The fears you feel about your partner may really be fears about letting go–giving yourself wholly to the partnership.
3. Identify emotional obstacles inside of you that stops you from loving fully?There may be something you are holding onto that is making you run away from the hard task of having to move your relationship forward. A way of life or fixed attitudes and beliefs that say to you; "I can't change." "I'll lose the life I know." Remember, when we choose to positively service our romantic relationships, it doesn't mean that we give up on personal goals. It just means that we have to become more creative in finding ways to express ourselves in the context of the romantic relationship. Your problem solving skills are being challenged, now. You have to consider more than your frustrations, needs, and desires, when solving problems. When you get used to thinking about problems that affect the relationship, you will be amazed at how you can turn mountains of resistance into molehills. Resistances start to fall away.

These questions are not easy for us to answer. They ask us to look deep within ourselves for defenses that prevent us from finding and strengthening love. It is always easier to see what is wrong with other people than with our own selves. Thus, if you reflected upon these questions, only thinking about how your mate isn't emotionally stretching him or herself enough to preserve the relationship, then, you have gone about these questions all wrong. These questions are asking YOU about your resistance to move to the next phase of a love relationship. If so, go back and answer the questions as they concern you, alone.

Love is a decision of the heart. It is an unconditional commitment that says: "I will do all I can to protect, grow, and honor the integrity of our relationship."  I will grow away from narcissistic self-concerns to concerns of my mate, children, and anything else that preserves the integrity of the family life that we have built together. Have you made this promise?

Courtesy: Psychology in Everyday Life

How To Develop Motivation

First, let's find out what the importance of motivation exactly is. Simply put, motivation is that driving force which allows you to achieve your goals and go after what you want in life. If you want to change your personality for the better, get a promotion at work, start a new habit, be a better person who is part of the community, become a better parent for your kid – all of these things would be easier accomplished if you are properly motivated.

As long as you have a strong personal motivation, you can achieve almost anything that you want from life. However, remember not to fall into the trap of looking for short-cuts to achieve your goals. It's perfectly fine if you have to take a long and winding road to achieve your goal. It will be an even sweeter victory when you finally achieve your goal, knowing that you have had to go through several hurdles to attain it.

Developing Motivation in Life
So how can you develop motivation in life? If you wish to accomplish a goal – be it short-term or long-term in nature – how can you find it in you to be properly motivated? Here are a few things that you should keep in mind:

1. Focus on one goal at a time.

This should be partnered with the fact that you should make sure that your short-term goals all help in achieving your long-term goals. One of the best ways for you to focus on one goal at a time is to make a diary of your goals – yes, write it down – so that you will have a visual representation of the things that you want to achieve rather than letting it all get lost in your head.

2. Get rid of all the distractions which might prevent you from achieving your goal.

Let's say that you are a writer who wants to finish a book. How can you type away on your keyboard one chapter after another if there are many distractions surrounding you like television, friends chattering away or the lure of aimlessly browsing through the Internet. In order for you to stay properly motivated, make sure to steer clear of any distractions.

3. Completely block out any negative influences.

Finally, make sure that you are completely blocking out any negative influences in your life. If you feel that you are being distracted from your goal by a problem which does not seem to go away, ask yourself what you can do to eliminate such a challenge and distraction in your life. Maybe you are being sidetracked by negative thoughts and feelings because you have no faith in yourself. Addressing the root of the problem, completely blocking out any negative distractions and thinking purely positive thoughts is the best way for you to develop motivation in your everyday life.

Constantly Work At Motivating Yourself
A goal doesn't do you much good unless you are constantly thinking about, and working towards it. Write down your goal and place it somewhere that you will see it at least 1-2 times a day. If you have a weight loss goal, place your written goal beside the refrigerator. If your goal is to get physically stronger, place your written goal near your weight bench so you can see it when you are working out. This provides the extra motivation you need for those tough days.

A great way to motivate yourself with business goals is to put up a motivational quote beside your desk. Do a Google search for motivational quotes, then print off one and put it inside of a picture frame. Keep it there and read it occasionally throughout the day. Whenever you find yourself not looking at the quote anymore, or it no longer provides the inspiration that it once did, it's time to change the quote. It's perfectly OK to change this quote every 1-2 weeks for maximum motivation.

Some people make a habit of reading their goals either when they first wake up or right before they go to bed. When you read your goals upon arising, you may begin to notice that you find yourself doing more each day to help you reach your goals. Similarly, when you read your goals right before bed, you may notice that you wake up with good ideas that you never thought of before.

Final Thoughts
It's important to have motivation in your life. Motivation is the fuel that you need to continue striving for your goals. Soak up motivating things in your life on a daily basis. Read great books that will inspire you. Read great blogs that are both positive and informative.

It's human nature to have days were you aren't very motivated. However, if you continue to surround yourself with positive and motivational things, those days will be few and far between.

How to fit 1,000 terabytes on a DVD

We live in a world where digital information is exploding. Some 90% of the world's data was generated in the past two years. The obvious question is: how can we store it all?

In Nature Communications today, we, along with Richard Evans from CSIRO, show how we developed a new technique to enable the data capacity of a single DVD to increase from 4.7 gigabytes up to one petabyte (1,000 terabytes). This is equivalent of 10.6 years of compressed high-definition video or 50,000 full high-definition movies.

So how did we manage to achieve such a huge boost in data storage? First, we need to understand how data is stored on optical discs such as CDs and DVDs.

The basics of digital storage

Although optical discs are used to carry software, films, games, and private data, and have great advantages over other recording media in terms of cost, longevity and reliability, their low data storage capacity is their major limiting factor.

The operation of optical data storage is rather simple. When you burn a CD, for example, the information is transformed to strings of binary digits (0s and 1s, also called bits). Each bit is then laser "burned" into the disc, using a single beam of light, in the form of dots.

The storage capacity of optical discs is mainly limited by the physical dimensions of the dots. But as there's a limit to the size of the disc as well as the size of the dots, many current methods of data storage, such as DVDs and Blu-ray discs, continue to have low level storage density.

To get around this, we had to look at light's fundamental laws.

Circumnavigating Abbe's limit

In 1873, German physicist Ernst Abbe published a law that limits the width of light beams.

On the basis of this law, the diameter of a spot of light, obtained by focusing a light beam through a lens, cannot be smaller than half its wavelength – around 500 nanometres (500 billionths of a metre) for visible light.

And while this law plays a huge role in modern optical microscopy, it also sets up a barrier for any efforts from researchers to produce extremely small dots – in the nanometre region – to use as binary bits.

In our study, we showed how to break this fundamental limit by using a two-light-beam method, with different colours, for recording onto discs instead of the conventional single-light-beam method.

Both beams must abide by Abbe's law, so they cannot produce smaller dots individually. But we gave the two beams different functions:

- The first beam (red, in the figure right) has a round shape, and is used to activate the recording. We called it the writing beam

- The second beam – the purple donut-shape – plays an anti-recording function, inhibiting the function of the writing beam

- The two beams were then overlapped. As the second beam cancelled out the first in its donut ring, the recording process was tightly confined to the centre of the writing beam.

This new technique produces an effective focal spot of nine nanometres – or one ten thousandth the diameter of a human hair.

The technique, in practical terms

Our work will greatly impact the development of super-compact devices as well as nanoscience and nanotechnology research.

The exceptional penetration feature of light beams allow for 3D recording or fabrication, which can dramatically increase the data storage – the number of dots – on a single optical device.

The technique is also cost-effective and portable, as only conventional optical and laser elements are use, and allows for the development of optical data storage with long life and low energy consumption, which could be an ideal platform for a Big Data centre.

As the rate of information generated worldwide continues to accelerate, the aim of more storage capacity in compact devices will continue. Our breakthrough has put that target within our reach.

Courtesy: Science Alert fb Page

Faculty Positions Available at College of Engineering Majmaah University KSA

In the matters of imparting education and enlightenment  B.S, M.S and Ph.D  degree holder (Male and Female) from internationally ranked /classified universities having teaching and research experience are required for College of Engineering Majmaah University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (K.S.A).

Interested candidates may send their C.V's at

Email:

alsalamahm@gmail.com       or         sacm@dsl.net.pk.job

Postal address:

Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia,

Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission,

House No 16/A, Street No 25A

 F-6/2, Islamabad,

Pakistan.

Details:

Department/ Discipline	Qualification	Experience	Position	Number of Vacancy	Expected Salary
Civil Engineering-Structural Engineering	B.S , M.S and Ph.D  degree holder from internationally ranked /classified universities	Priority given to applicants who have experience in teaching and research	Assistant Professor, Associate Professor , Professor	3	After the CV is reviewed
Civil Engineering-Surveying	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	1	Same as above
Civil Engineering-Transportation	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	1	Same as above
Civil Engineering-Water and Environment	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	1	Same as above
Electrical Engineering- Power	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	2	Same as above
Electrical Engineering- Machine	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	3	Same as above
Electrical Engineering- Control	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	3	Same as above
Electrical Engineering-Microwave	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	1	Same as above
Mechanical Engineering-Manufacturing	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	2	Same as above
Mechanical Engineering-Design	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	1	Same as above
Mechanical Engineering-Materials Engineering	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	1	Same as above
Mechanical Engineering-System Mechanics and controls	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	2	Same as above
Mechanical Engineering-Thermodynamics	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	3	Same as above
Mathematics (Integration, differentiation , algebra, differential equation, numerical methods	Same as above	Same as above	Assistant Professor	2	Same as above
Physics(for engineering students)	Same as above	Same as above	Assistant Professor	1	Same as above
Chemistry(for engineering students)	Same as above	Same as above	Assistant Professor	1	Same as above
Architectural Engineering	Same as above	10 years in teaching and research , served as department head or dean , has experience in curriculum development	Professor	1	Same as above, exceptional salary
Interior Design	Same as above	10 years in teaching and research , served as department head or dean , has experience in curriculum development	Professor	1	Same as above, exceptional salary
System Engineering and Mechatronics		Same as above, exceptional salary	Professor	1	Same as above, exceptional salary

Splitting the Sea: Turning Ocean Water into Hydrogen Fuel

THE UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG

WEDNESDAY, 12 JUNE 2013 UOW scientists have developed a novel way to turn sea water into hydrogen, for a sustainable and clean fuel source. Using this method, as little as five litres of sea water per day would produce enough hydrogen to power an average-sized home and an electric car for one day. The research team at UOW's Australian Reserch Council Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) have developed a light-assisted catalyst that requires less energy input to activate water oxidation, which is the first step in splitting water to produce hydrogen fuel. A major limitation with current technologies is that the oxidation process needs a higher energy input, which rules out using abundant sea water because it produces poisonous chlorine gas. The research team, led by Associate Professor Jun Chen and Professor Gerry Swiegers, have produced an artificial chlorophyll on a conductive plastic film that acts as a catalyst to begin splitting water. The results were recently published in the journal Chemical Science. Lead author, Associate Professor Jun Chen, said the flexible polymer would mean it could be used in a wider range of applications and it is more easily manufactured than metal semiconductors. "The system we designed, including the materials, gives us the opportunity to design various devices and applications using sea water as a water-splitting source. "The flexible nature of the material also provides the possibility to build portable hydrogen-producing devices." The development brings UOW's energy research a step closer to creating an artificial leaf-like device that can efficiently produce hydrogen. ACES Executive Research Director Professor Gordon Wallace said: "In today's world the discovery of high performance materials is not enough". "This must be coupled with innovative fabrication to provide practical high-performance devices and this work is an excellent example of that," he said.

Story: Army of Elephants

The following incident is mentioned in Surah Feel of the Holy Quran and it happened during the period of the birth-year of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

 

Abraha Al-Ashram was the governor of Yemen on behalf of the king of Ethiopia. He (Abrahah) thought to build a house (like the Kabah at Makkah) in Sana (the capital of Yemen) and call the Arabs to perform the pilgrimage there in Sana instead of the Kabah in Makkah, with the intention of diverting the trade and benefits from Makkah to Yemen. He presented his idea to the king of Ethiopia who agreed to it. So the house (church) was built and he named it Al-Qullais; there was no church of its like at that time. Then a man from the Quraish tribe of Makkah came there and was infuriated by it, so he relieved his nature (stools and urine) in it, soiled its walls and went away.

 

When Abrahah Al-Ashram saw that, he could not control his anger and raised an army to invade Makkah and demolish the Kabah. He had in that army thirteen elephants and amongst them was an elephant called Mahmud which was the biggest of them. So that army proceeded and none amongst the Arab tribes that faced them (fought against them) but was killed and defeated, till it approached near Makkah. Then there took place negotiations between Abrahah Al-Ashram and the chief of Makkah (Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim, the grandfather of the Prophet), and it was concluded that Abrahah would restore the camels of Abdul Muttalib which he had taken away, and then he (Abrahah) would decide himself as regards the Kabah.

 

Abdul Muttalib ordered the men of Makkah to evacuate the city and go to the top of the mountains along with their wives and children in case some harm should come to them from the invading oppressors. Then that army moved towards Makkah till they reached valley Muhassir.While the army was marching towards Makkah, in the middle of the valley, suddenly it was overtaken by flocks of birds, flocks after flocks, air-raiding that army with small stones slightly bigger than a lentil seed. There never fell a stone on a soldier except it dissolved his flesh and burst it into pieces. So they perished with a total destruction. Abrahah Al-Ashram fled away while his flesh was bursting into pieces till he died on the way (back to Yemen). Such was the victory bestowed by Allah, (the All-Majestic, All-Powerful) to the people of Makkah and such was the protection provided by Him for His House (Kabah in Makkah).

Source: Extracted from Tafsir of Surah Feel (Surah 105) by Ibn Kathir as found in Translation of the Noble Quran by Muhammad Muhsin Khan.

Plastic waste burns to give cooking gas

A team of researchers from the National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NIT-C), has developed a technology that converts plastic waste into cooking gas, without causing pollution.

The team, led by Lisa Sreejith, associate professor, Department of Chemistry, NIT-C and N. Sitaraman, retired chemistry professor of the institute, told The Hindu that the cost-effective and eco-friendly breakthrough was achieved through a thermochemical decomposition of the shredded waste plastic at an elevated temperature in the absence of oxygen.

"As much as 750 ml of gas can be produced from a mere four grams of plastic waste using the technology (750 litre from 4 kg)," said Dr. Lisa. Apart from the gas, other costly chemicals including the plasticizers employed to make plastic more pliable, can also be extracted during the process, she said.

Unlike in the existing recycling system, no plastic item is rejected in the new method. "The trials have been successful in disintegrating all kinds of plastics including polythene, bottles, bags, tyres, charring plastics such as toffee covers and thermocol," said Dr. Lisa.

According to Dr. Lisa, a plant for processing 100 tonnes of plastic waste daily can be set up at an estimated cost of Rs.2.5 crore. "This includes machinery and storage facilities for gas in liquid form as it is done in refineries," she said.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has lauded Dr. Lisa and her team on their feat. "Mr. Chandy has also expressed his wish see the demonstration of the technology," she said.

Dr. Sitaraman said that the technology could make a huge difference in the lives of millions of people if utilised effectively.

"We expect the government to respond positively to this development," said Dr. Sitaraman.

According to Dr. Lisa, the team has submitted the project to various State and Central funding agencies, including the Department of Science and Technology of the Union government for approval. "The patent filing process also is in progress," said Dr. Lisa.

The technology was demonstrated in front a group of invited guests including Kozhikode MLA A. Pradeepkumar on the NIT-C campus recently. Mr. Pradeepkumar said

the technology should be utilised with the help of local bodies and residential associations such as Niravu Vengeri, which systematically collect plastic wastes from residents and hand them over periodically to plastic recycling units.

Courtesy:Thehindu.com

Helicopter Operated By Pure Mind Control

Controlling the movements of a helicopter just with your mind sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but scientists at the University of Minnesota have made it a reality. They have learnt to use their thoughts to steer a model helicopter around a gym, making it dip, rise, turn, and even fly through a ring.

The scientists have published their study in the Journal of Neural Engineering.

The development of brain computer interfacing (BCI) is to provide the user with the ability to communicate with the world outside and manipulate objects through thought modulation. Achieving this is accomplished through a closed loop of sensing, processing and actuation. Over the last ten years, scientists have made enormous progress in making it possible for us to move things by just thinking about it.

The robot takes its orders from a person's thoughts

Professor Bin He and team, who work in the laboratory of biomedical engineering, say that the technology they are developing may one day help people with neurodegenerative diseases, who have lost the ability to speak or move their bodies, regain function by controlling electronic and mechanical devices, such as artificial limbs, wheelchairs, etc.

The team say their technology is completely non-invasive. There are no brain implants. Brainwaves (electroencephalography, EEG) are picked up by electrodes fitted into an EEG cap that goes onto the scalp.

Professor He, who is a faculty member in the College of Science and Engineering, said:

"My entire career is to push for noninvasive 3-D brain-computer interfaces, or BCI. [Researchers elsewhere] have used a chip implanted into the brain's motor cortex to drive movement of a cursor [across a screen] or a robotic arm. But here we have proof that a noninvasive BCI from a scalp EEG can do as well as an invasive chip."

How does the brain-computer interface work

The motor cortex is an area of the cerebrum that controls movement. Prof. He's BCI system works thanks to the location of the motor cortex.

When humans move, or think about carrying out a movement, neurons in the motor cortex emit small electrical currents. Each thought regarding each different movement activates a new arrangement of neurons.

The groundwork for the BCI involved sorting out these neuron arrangements.

Professor He said "We were the first to use both functional MRI and EEG imaging to map where in the brain neurons are activated when you imagine movements. So now we know where the signals will come from."

According to the brain map, the easiest signals to distinguish were those that resulted in closing one fist, closing the other fist, or both.

He explained "This knowledge about what kinds of signals are generated by what kind of motion imagination helps us optimize the design of the system to control flying objects in real time."

Tapping the map

The EEG cap has 64 scalp-electrodes. They monitor the electrical activity coming from the brain and report signals (or absence of signals) to a computer. The computer processes the data and translates the pattern into an electronic command.

Using thoughts to control movement occurred initially with the one-dimensional movement of a cursor on a computer monitor. Researchers then moved a two-dimensional cursor, and finally achieved 3-D control over a virtual helicopter.

Now it is a real object, they are able to control an actual flying robot drone which was formally an augmented reality.

To control the model helicopter with just thoughts, the team's computers interface with the WiFi controls in the robot (helicopter). After processing the EEG brain signals into a command, the computer sends the command to the helicopter by WiFi.

The researchers describe how the team, consisting of five scientists, learned to guide the flying robot.

Karl LaFleur, a senior biomedical engineering student, said:

"Working for Dr. He has been a phenomenal experience. He has so much experience with the scientific process, and he is excellent at helping his students learn this process while allowing them room for independent work. Being an author on a first-person journal article is a huge opportunity that most undergraduates never get."

LaFleur, who is entering medical school next year, says he plans to put his knowledge into use there.

LeFleur continued:

"I think the potential for BCI is very broad. Next, we want to apply the flying robot technology to help disabled patients interact with the world. It may even help patients with conditions like stroke or Alzheimer's disease. We're now studying some stroke patients to see if it'll help rewire brain circuits to bypass damaged areas."

Previous studies on using just thoughts

In 2011, scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Rehabilitation Institute created a computer interface that helped a paralyzed man move a prosthetic arm just with thoughts. All he needed to do was use his thoughts and the arm moved.

Researchers from the University of Essex and the University of Plymouth, both in England, created technology that allowed a patient with locked-in syndrome to play music just by thinking about it. They published their study in the journal Music and Medicine (March 2011 issue).

Courtesy: medicalnewstoday