Control of Pneumatically Actuated Hospital Bed Using EEG Signal

In recent years, cases of paralytic attacks have significantly increased. Consequently, disability arising due to paralytic attacks has surged. In such circumstances, the patients are confined to their beds, and even self-lifting the bed seems to be an impossible feat. In order to enable the paralytic bedridden person to control their medical bed without the need for physical effort, a novel method was introduced. The paper describes the development of electroencephalography (EEG)-controlled pneumatic-actuated hospital beds enabling the patient to raise the height of the bed just by thinking of raising or lowering the bed. These pneumatic actuators in the hospital bed employ air as a fluid medium. Because air is compressible, it produces a cushioning effect that gives the system an extra benefit. The method employs a brain–computer interface, which enables direct communication of the brain with the pneumatic control system of the hospital bed using EEG signals. These signals are the name given to the tiny impulses in the form of fast currents and spikes sensed within the network of neurons in the human body. These EEG signals are acquired from the neuro headset and transmitted to a personal computer wirelessly. The complete workflow of the system can be explained in three stages. In the first stage, the headset acquires the EEG signals, which are then transferred to EEG signal processor. The EEG signals obtained are converted into readable data, then trained using machine learning (ML) to encapsulate a person's thought into the output signal completely, thereby enabling the actuator to move up and down based on these thoughts. Subsequently, these data are processed in the browser-based node-red programming environment. In the second stage, the logic is developed in the node-red environment, where all the systems are integrated. The logic filters the data into defined categories and then sent as the desired output to data acquisition board (DAQ). The board converts the obtained digital input into analog output. In the third stage, the output signal of the DAQ board is amplified using a power amplifier. The power amplifier controls the airflow rate in a proportional valve and consecutively actuates the pneumatic cylinder, thus enabling the patient to control the height of their medical bed without any physical contact.