Foundation:

People with spinal cord injuries may have muscular paralysis and inability to perform movements of different parts of the body, depending on the injury level. At present, it is possible to use the electric currents generated on the skull surface, resulting from brain activity, to move an electric wheelchair, so that their dependence decreases.

Objective:

to describe a system for controlling a wheelchair, by means of the brain electric signals of a paraplegic patient.

Methods:

study of technological innovation, conducted at the Equinoctial Technological University of Ecuador. The software application to detect brain waves was developed on the LabVIEW platform, using Dynamic Link Libraries (edk.dll) from Emotiv and Arduino libraries. The electroencephalography signals generated by the user (emotion, participation / boredom, frustration and meditation) were observed and measured using a waveform. The system test was performed with a 40-year-old patient with spastic paraplegia caused by a fracture in the spine.

Results:

an effectiveness index greater than 85 % was obtained. The workload index obtained was 60.33 %, with relevant individual load indices: mental demand with 22.67 % and yield with 30 %.

Conclusion:

the described system performance was adequate for the wheelchair prototype mobility.

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