mesbooks Chapter 198 Mind Control
Chapter 198 Mind Control
The signal calibration took two full weeks.
Shen Yiming spends every day in the lab, repeatedly analyzing Zhang Wei's neural signal data. Everyone's brain signal patterns are different, and general decoding models can only achieve basic recognition. To enable the robotic arm to accurately respond to Zhang Wei's thoughts, it is necessary to conduct personalized training based on his signal characteristics.
The training process was tedious. Zhang Wei lay on the hospital bed, repeatedly imagining clenching his fist, extending his palm, and flexing his wrist according to the instructions. The screen displayed the real-time output of the decoding model. At first, the accuracy rate was only 30%, and the model often recognized "clenching fist" as "extending palm".
Shen Yiming continuously adjusted the parameters and also utilized the federated learning framework. The model learns Zhang Wei's signal features locally, and only uploads the updated parameters after each iteration, which protects privacy and speeds up the process.
By the end of the second week, the accuracy rate had stabilized at over 90%.
Shen Yiming sent a message to Zuo Cheng, saying that the mind control test could begin.
The test was scheduled for Wednesday morning. The location was a specially prepared testing room in the Rehabilitation Center of Huaxia University Hospital. The room contained a robotic arm mounted on a bedside support; its five fingers could move independently.
Zuo Cheng arrived early, accompanied by Yu Ying. Professor Zheng and Tang Ning were also present, along with doctors from several other departments who came to observe. Zhang Wei's wife brought their son, who is nine years old and named Zhang Zixuan.
Zhang Wei was calm as he was wheeled into the testing room. He had been lying in bed for two years and was long used to "testing." But this time was different, and he knew it himself.
Shen Yiming turned on the power to the robotic arm, and the finger joints emitted a soft motor sound. He said, "Brother Zhang, we're not playing games today. If you want this to move manually, it will."
Zhang Wei nodded.
The chip was implanted in the area corresponding to the motor cortex of his brain, and signal acquisition has been stable for two weeks. Now, he only needs to imagine an action, and the decoding model will translate the neural signals into control commands to drive the robotic arm to execute them.
Shen Yiming said, "Let's start with something simple. Imagine making a fist."
Zhang Wei closed his eyes and, following the training method of the past two weeks, imagined his right hand slowly clenching. He remembered the feeling; the memory from two years ago was still there: fingers bent, palm tightened, knuckles slightly exerting force.
The robotic arm remained completely still.
Shen Yiming glanced at the screen and said, "Signal acquisition is normal, but decoding confidence is only 0.4%. Brother Zhang, try again, try to make it as clear as possible."
Zhang Wei tried again. Still nothing.
The third time, the fourth time. The robotic arm, like a sculpture, hung from the support beside the bed.
The testing room was quiet. Zhang Zixuan held his mother's hand and whispered, "What's wrong with Dad?" His mother said, "Dad is working hard. Don't disturb him."
Zuo Cheng stood behind Shen Yiming, watching the data stream on the screen. He said the threshold was set too high. The output was based on a confidence level of 0.4, but the robotic arm required a stable signal of at least 0.6.
Shen Yiming said that lowering the threshold would increase false triggering.
Zuo Cheng said, "Let him succeed once first. Once he succeeds, it will be easier later."
Shen Yiming adjusted the threshold from 0.6 to 0.45. He said, "Brother Zhang, try again."
Zhang Wei took a deep breath. This time, he didn't close his eyes, but stared at the metal fingers of the robotic arm. He imagined those five fingers were his own, slowly bending and clenching them, feeling the power coming from his palm.
The little finger of the robotic arm twitched.
The amplitude was very small, only a few millimeters, but everyone in the quiet testing room could see it.
Zhang Zixuan called out, and Dad moved.
Zhang Wei's eyes reddened. He said, "Let's do it again."
On the fifth attempt, bend your middle and ring fingers together. On the sixth attempt, clench all five fingers into a fist. On the seventh attempt, clench your fist tightly, then slowly release it.
Shen Yiming stared at the screen, his voice trembling slightly. He said, "Confidence level 0.73, delay 120 milliseconds. Successful."
Applause erupted in the testing room. Professor Zheng walked over, shook Zhang Wei's hand, and said, "Congratulations, this is the first successful case of brain-computer interface mind control in China."
Zhang Wei didn't speak, he just watched the robotic arm. The metal hand, following his will, slowly clenched into a fist and then slowly opened. The movements were still stiff, and the angles of the joints were unnatural, but it was definitely moving.
For the first time in two years, he used his mind to make a hand move.
Zuo Cheng walked over, squatted down by the bed, and asked, "How are you feeling?"
Zhang Wei said it felt like a dream. I thought I'd never experience that again in my life.
Zuo Cheng said, "This is just the beginning. Next is the elbow joint, then the shoulder joint. Once the entire exoskeleton is in place, you'll be able to stand up."
Zhang Wei's wife was wiping away tears. Zhang Zixuan ran to the bedside, looked at the mechanical hand, and said, "Dad, can you touch me?"
Zhang Wei looked at his son as the robotic arm slowly moved, its metal fingers gently touching the child's face. The movement was clumsy, but Zhang Zixuan smiled and said, "Dad's hands are so cold."
After the test, Zuo Cheng asked Tang Ning to compile the test report and video archive.
Tang Ning asked if they should release a news report.
Zuo Cheng said, "Don't send them yet. We'll send them all together when he can stand up."
That afternoon, Zuo Cheng convened a meeting with the core team, with only one topic: the progress of the exoskeleton.
Ma Hao, who is in charge of the exoskeleton project, transferred several people from the Unmanned Systems Division to work with Xingchen Technology on the project. He said that the main structure of the lower limb exoskeleton has been completed, while the power system and control algorithm are still being debugged, and joint testing is expected in two weeks.
Zuo Cheng said, "Two weeks is too long. Ten days."
Ma Hao said that ten days is a bit tight.
Zuo Cheng said that Zhang Wei has already regained control of his arm. Every extra day of waiting is another day of torment. Ten days, no matter the schedule, I want to see the exoskeleton move in ten days.
Ma Hao said, "Okay, ten days."
After the meeting, Yu Ying followed Zuo Cheng back to his office. She said, "You were a bit fierce just now."
Zuo Cheng said, "It's not that I'm fierce, it's that I'm anxious." Zhang Wei is thirty-five years old this year, and his son is nine. He has been bedridden for two years, missing two years of his child's growth. I want him to get up as soon as possible, while his son still has the patience to wait for him.
Yu Ying was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand."
She walked to the window and looked at the night view of Hangzhou. After a while, she said, "Brother, do you think how many people will be able to stand up again like Zhang Wei because of this technology?"
Zuo Cheng said he didn't know. But each one was worthwhile.
He opened a drawer and took out the construction plan for an exoskeleton rehabilitation center. He said, "I want to build a rehabilitation center to initially admit twenty spinal cord injury patients, free of charge."
Yu Ying asked, "What about the budget?"
Zuo Cheng said they would start by using the company's profits. They would apply for medical insurance once the company grew larger.
Yu Ying said, "I support you."
That night, Zuo Cheng stayed alone in his office, watching the test video over and over again. On the screen, Zhang Wei's robotic arm slowly clenched its fist and then slowly opened it. The movement was slow, but every pixel was real.
This is the starting point of the eighth branch. It wasn't given by the system, it was given by someone.
He turned off the video and sent a message to Professor Zheng, stating that the next goal was to get Zhang Wei to wear an exoskeleton and stand up.
Professor Zheng replied with a single word: "Okay."
Outside the window, the lights of Hangzhou remain as bright as ever. Tomorrow is another new day, and for some, it will be a brand new day in their lives.