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For Everyone -
2 h.
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Srpski
You Are the Controller: Brain-Machine Interface Workshop
What if you could control a robotic claw using nothing but electrical impulses from your own muscles?
In this workshop, you’ll step into the world of brain-machine interfaces—technology that connects biological signals directly to external devices. Using Backyard Brains Spiker:bit and The Claw robotic gripper, you’ll record your own EMG signals and use them to control a robotic hand in real time.
No programming experience required. Your body is the controller.
About This Workshop
What You'll Explore
- From Signal to Movement: You'll discover how your body naturally generates electrical signals with every muscle contraction—and how those signals can be captured, interpreted, and used to control external devices.
- Controlling a Robotic Claw: Using the Backyard Brains Spiker:bit and The Claw robotic gripper, you'll place electrodes on your forearm and map your muscle activity to robotic movement. When you clench your fist, the claw closes. When you relax, it opens.
- Brain-Machine Interface in Action: You'll experience firsthand how BMI technology works—the same principles used in real prosthetics and rehabilitation devices—through direct, hands-on experimentation.
What You'll Learn
- How muscles and the brain communicate through electrical signals (EMG basics)
- What brain-machine interfaces are and how they work
- How to record and interpret bioelectric signals using Spiker:bit
- How to control a robotic claw with your own muscle impulses
- Real-world applications in medicine, robotics, and assistive technology
Science Through Practice
This is not a lecture about the future of technology—it's a hands-on experience where you become the interface. You'll connect electrodes, calibrate your signals, and control a robotic system using nothing but your own body. The experiments are intuitive and require no prior technical knowledge.Why Join?
Brain-machine interfaces are already changing medicine, rehabilitation, and human-computer interaction. This workshop gives you direct access to the core principles behind this technology—through experiments you can feel and see. Whether you're a student, professional, or simply curious, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to experience neuroscience and bioengineering in the most hands-on way possible.About the Instructor
The workshop is led by Aleksa Vasić, M.Sc. in Biology. As a science communicator, Aleksa combines biology, neuroscience, and technology to bring modern scientific discoveries closer to the public. With years of experience working with Backyard Brains equipment, Aleksa has led numerous workshops on electrophysiology and bioengineering, always with a focus on practical work and real experimentation.Have a question?
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