Now, fly a helicopter with just your thought!

It may sound like a science fiction but researchers are toying with a mind-controlled device that enables users to fly a model helicopter with just thoughts!

The device allows human subjects to control the flight of small, remote-controlled helicopters using only their minds.

Researchers at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, US, have created a brain-computer interface.

This system allows the brain to communicate directly with an external device that lets participants control the path of a flying object - known as a quadcopter - simply by thinking about specific movements.

"The technology could one day help people with disabilities lead more independent lives," said Bin He, a biomedical engineer and the project's lead scientist.

How does it work?

The specially designed interface is non-invasive and does not require any implanted devices.

Users wear an electro-encephalography (EEG) cap with 64 attached electrodes that pick up signals from the brain.

"When you think about a specific movement, neurons in the brain's motor cortex produce tiny electric signals that are then sent to a computer," He was quoted as saying.

The signal coming from his brain is picked up by sensors, decoded and sent through a Wi-Fi system to control flying quadcopter," He added.

The computer is going to read that digital signal and do all the processing and extract out the brain signal and control the quadcopter, he said in a press release.