Shared control architecture based on RFID to control a robot arm using a spontaneous brain–machine interface

• A shared control architecture is used in a pick and place application with a robot.
• The shared control architecture combines a BMI with RFID technology.
• The user controls the BMI to make high-level decisions using motor imagery.
• The RFID stores information of the objects to help the BMI.
• Four users performed the tests with good time results and accuracy.

This paper describes a shared control architecture combining a Brain–Machine Interface (BMI) with Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) technology to control a robot arm in pick and place operations. A non-invasive spontaneous BMI capable of distinguishing between three different mental tasks has been designed. Using the BMI, the user can control the robot in order to perform complex actions (e.g. pick and place operations). RFID tags have been placed in the experimental setup to give information about the position of the objects in the scene. With this information, the user is able to pick and place the objects with a robot arm by performing simple commands: move left, move right, pick or place, with the only help of the BMI. Four volunteers have successfully controlled the robot arm, and time and accuracy have been measured.