Remotely mind-controlled metasurface via brainwaves

Abstract

The power of controlling objects with mind has captivated a popular fascination to human beings. One possible path is to employ brain signal collecting technologies together with emerging programmable metasurfaces (PM), whose functions or operating modes can be switched or customized via on-site programming or pre-defined software. Nevertheless, most of existing PMs are wire-connected to users, manually-controlled and not real-time. Here, we propose the concept of remotely mind-controlled metasurface (RMCM) via brainwaves. Rather than DC voltage from power supply or AC voltages from signal generators, the metasurface is controlled by brainwaves collected in real time and transmitted wirelessly from the user. As an example, we demonstrated a RMCM whose scattering pattern can be altered dynamically according to the user’s brain waves via Bluetooth. The attention intensity information is extracted as the control signal and a mapping between attention intensity and scattering pattern of the metasurface is established. With such a framework, we experimentally demonstrated and verified a prototype of such metasurface system which can be remotely controlled by the user to modify its scattering pattern. This work paves a new way to intelligent metasurfaces and may find applications in health monitoring, 5G/6G communications, smart sensors, etc.

Electromagnetic Brain–Computer–Metasurface Holography

“…Recently, the brain-controlled metasurfaces, integrating the advantages of human brain intelligence and programmable metasurfaces, have been proposed to manipulate the far-field EM waves by the human brains. , However, the brain signals are just encoded into the corresponding coding sequences to regulate the far-field EM waves, from which the beam manipulations and information transmission were realized. Hence, the closing convergence between the human brain and metasurfaces needs deeper explorations.…”

“…Recently, the brain-controlled metasurfaces, integrating the advantages of human brain intelligence and programmable metasurfaces, have been proposed to manipulate the far-field EM waves by the human brains. 34,35 However, the brain signals…”

Electrically addressable integrated intelligent terahertz metasurface

“…The realization of RISs at microwave frequencies is based on programmable metasurfaces, which typically comprise a planar array of meta-atoms integrated with electronic switches (8,9). In recent years, intelligent metasurfaces have been proposed as an upgraded version of the programmable metasurface (10)(11)(12). By combining sensors into the programmable metasurface, intelligent metasurfaces that can adjust their functionality according to the surrounding environment have been created.…”

Smart Metasurface for Active and Passive Cooperative Manipulation of Electromagnetic Waves

“…The researchers have been pursuing more ways to enrich the functions of the metasurface. Encouragingly, the reconfigurable metasurface employing active methods, including diodes, − phase change materials, , graphene, − and brainwave control, , empowers more freedom for manipulating EM waves. Most of the above-mentioned multifarious functions achieved on the metasurface are based on amplitude, phase, and polarization control.…”