Writing through a robot: a proof of concept for a brain-machine interface
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Updated: May 31, 2026

An Experimental Platform to Study the Closed-loop Performance of Brain-machine Interfaces
Published on: March 10, 2011
Daniel Pérez-Marcos1, Jaime Alberto Buitrago, Fáber Danilo Giraldo Velásquez
1Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), C/Villarroel, 170, ES-08036 Barcelona, Spain. dperez1@clinic.ub.es
Abstract:
This paper describes a non-invasive human brain-actuated robotic arm experiment, which allows remote writing. In the local environment, the participant decides on an arbitrary word to transmit. A mental speller interface is then used to select the letters. A robot arm placed in the remote environment writes the word on a whiteboard in real time. A multidisciplinary framework such as the one presented here exemplifies a class of interactive applications with possible relevance in a variety of fields, such as entertainment and clinical environments.

