Toyota reportedly has developed a new technology that allows people to control their wheelchairs using just brain waves, offering an alternative to physical movement or verbal commands.

A person sitting in a wheel chair is required to wear a type of skull cap that is able to read and analyze a wearer's brain signals.  The brain signals are fed through a brain scan electroencephalograph (EEG) and are then then analyzed by a computer.  Toyota's brain machine interface (BMI) system allows the person to move forward, backward, turn left or right, though it's unknown if other movements are allowed.

Brain-wave analysis is compiled so quickly that it isn't even displayed on a control panel, and drivers don't notice a lag delay.  Toyota developed the system so it's able to modify and adjust with each individual driver, but the company didn't go into detail about how this is done.

Stopping isn't as simple, and a person must puff up a cheek, with sensors on the face detecting the puff, then stopping the wheel chair.  

Similar technologies have been available for some time now, but they have proven to be dramatically slower than the new Toyota system.  Other technologies take a few seconds to analyze brain waves, but the new Toyota system takes only 125 milliseconds to read brain waves.

Rival Honda also is developing a brain wave technology related to mechanical movements without a person actually having to move.

Toyota, obviously best known as an automaker, has put an increased amount of research into robotics and mobility research, including the development of its BSI-Toyota Collaboration Center.  The majority of the company's robotics research is aimed to help the aging Japanese population continue to live in comfortable environments, and will be mainly used in medicine and nursing management.