Balancing an Inverted Pendulum by Thinking A Real-Time fMRI Approach

We present a method for controlling a dynamical system using real-time fMRI. The objective for the subject in the MR scanner is to balance an inverse pendulum by activating the left or right hand or resting. The brain activity is classified each second by a neural network and the classification is sent to a pendulum simulator to change the force applied to the pendulum. The state of the inverse pendulum is shown to the subject in a pair of VR goggles. The subject was able to balance the inverse pendulum both with real activity and imagined activity. The developments here have a potential to aid people with communication disabilities e.g., locked in people. It might also be a tool for stroke patients to be ableto train the damaged brain area and get real-time feedback of when they do it right.