Combat quadcopters, psychophysiology laboratory and brain training

What is going on in the head of the author Habr, the pilot of a combat drone and atk solo on the top?


Once again I came to visit the psychophysiology laboratory of Moscow State University , with kozinaki and quadcopters

Since recently I began to systematically manage iddqd mini quadcopter , I wondered what happens to the brain activity when controlling this toy with a semi-professional simulator, because the subjective sensations of the load on the brain are comparable to the solution of olympiad tasks (light)
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“Peeped into the brain” to me on modern equipment, on which they perform diagnostics / rehabilitation for employees of special services, Emergencies Ministry, dispatchers, etc., as well as conduct neurotraining and biofeedback sessions. I also decided to see what happens to my brain during other daily activities.

DISCLAIMER : This is not a study or an experiment. This is a fan science fiction demonstration of the capabilities of modern equipment. It is not recommended to draw conceptual conclusions from the obtained data, since the readings of the devices demonstrate only the activation of certain areas of the brain in a short period of time, for serious conclusions a wide sampling and a longer period of state monitoring are required

I measured the EEG.

• The first stage - measure the "background". I was asked to lower in the direction of the wall. (What to do? - Nothing, just stick)
• The second stage - we measure what happens to the brain (heart and face) in the usual time - I read Habr
• The third stage is measuring psycho-physiological parameters while controlling the “combat drone” ( Byrobot drone fighter ):
  
  • a) just flying
  • b) an easy task: fly around the perimeter of the room as quickly as possible
  • c) difficult task: landing on a limited area
  • d) measure the background after tasks
• Bonus stage - I play League of Legends

Under the cut, the brain of an ordinary person (who performs the command “stick” into the wall) and the brain of a person reading Habr.

The first stage - measure the "background"

(I look forward relaxedly, I do not move, I try not to blink and not to chew at least 5 minutes)

The background is necessary to determine the initial (background) functional state of the subject. It is used as a “baseline”, as a reporting point, relative to which state changes will be recorded.


The contents of the screenshot: on the left is the “raw” EEG record. In the middle - the spectrogram, i.e. decomposition in frequency response. Right - activation mapping (topography). It is important to note that the signal amplitude varies from picture to picture (in this screenshot from 2 to 5 microvolts), which is also a significant parameter along with the spatial pattern (on the right)

Registration of the initial background state during quiet wakefulness with open eyes.
We see that there is a diffuse activation in the range of the alpha rhythm (7.5–13, 5 Hz) and the lower beta rhythm (13.5–20 Hz), mainly along the central line in the frontal and occipital regions. As well as local activity in the occipital region in more high-frequency (beta-rhythm) ranges.

The second stage - I read Habr

I read Habr (article Byrobot: quadrocopter for Chuck Norris and 6d-thinking )


Someone plyusanul, cheers!



The task - registration during the execution of work with the site.
Decreased activity in the alpha range. Local activation in the occipital-temporal region in a wide high-frequency range. Note that the amplitude is 5-11 microvolts, which is 2 times higher than the background signals


So reading Habr ( “Millennium Challenges. Just about the complex” ) develops the brain, activates the kundalini beta rhythm and has a positive effect on karma

The third stage - the management of drone

Hands behind your back! Moving to mobile measurement mode

Easy

I keep the quadrocopter in the air, flying right-left randomly

Normal

“Normal” turned out to be the same as “Hard”, because it was very careful not to bump into expensive equipment.


Functional activation has shifted to a higher frequency region. There is a slight activation locus at the level of the alpha rhythm, high-frequency activation loci at the level of the occipital-temporal regions. The amplitude of 4-11 microvolts.

Hard

Landing on a limited area. Plant the device exactly on the chair from a distance of 3 meters


Activation has shifted to the right occipital-temporal region. Alpha activity is significantly reduced.

We measure the background after the completed task

(I look relaxed at one point, i.e., “stuck”)

Reduced high-frequency activation with left-sided asymmetry. Alpha activity is quite pronounced with the formation of two activation loci, more in the frontal region.

In the final background, one can observe 2 activation loci at the alpha-rhythm frequency and significant left-sided asymmetry at high frequencies. Essentially visible activation in the final, which is reflected in the “work” on all bands, and not only on low frequencies, as in the original background.

Bonus Stage

Meanwhile, someone is looking at the stars.


And someone plays Legue of Legends


Pronounced high-frequency activation in the occipital region, which indicates the activity of the centers associated with the processing of visual information.

Sensory test

In addition to taking EEG readings, I passed a professional test for pilots.


More on Habré: Sensomotor coordination (SMK). Professional research / pilot training

Further research

With a more serious approach, some ECG parameters and oculomotor activity can be used as a measure of the functional state (fatigue / stress) of the pilot during piloting, before and after it. You can make assumptions about the "difficult" points in management, as well as make a forecast of fatigue.

Also, the subject of research may be tracking the formation of management skills. To do this, you can compare the style of "beginners" and "experienced", as well as trace the brain activity during the training of piloting, see how, when and what elements go into the zone of unconscious competence.

There is an idea to measure the state of the brain during the fight quadcopter



Syringe for applying electrically conductive gel

Below I will quote a note from Boris Zubkov’s neuromarketing blog.

Two hours for changes



We know about the incredible plasticity of the brain, but, of course, not all. A recent study by scientists from Israel (Sagi et al., 2012) showed evidence of the speed of neuroplasticity.

Structural changes in the brain can be observed in tens of minutes learning something new. Using diffusion tensor scanning (diffusion of tensor imaging, DTI) with a tomograph, scientists were able to see changes in the hippocampus after two hours of a video game. In experiments with rats, it was established that such changes are associated with the brain-derived neurotropic growth factor (BDNF), a protein that is responsible for the support, growth and development of neurons. People probably use the same mechanism.

What does this mean? You can change your brain in just 2 hours, enough for noticeable, or not quite noticeable, changes in behavior. Just two hours of dancing, or a new computer game will turn you into a slightly different person, literally. Well, of course, this again confirms that video games are a very good thing!

Sagi, Y., Tavor, I., Hofstetter, S., Tzur-Moryosef, S., Blumenfeld-Katzir, T., & Assaf, Y. (2012). Learning in the fast lane: New insights into neuroplasticity. Neuron, 73 (6), 1195-1203.

Image and graphics are from Sagi et al., 2012.

findings

I do not know how for harabrachiteli, but for me 2015 will surely be the year of quadrocopters and neuro research.
Give each other quadcopters neural interfaces dollars Crimea karma.
Holiday greetings!