Severely disabled people who cannot operate a motorised wheelchair may one day get their independence thanks to a system that lets them steer a wheelchair using only their thoughts.

Unlike previous thought-communication devices, the system does not use surgical implants. Instead a skullcap peppered with electrodes monitors the electrical activity of its wearer's brain. Early trials using a steerable robot indicate that with just two days training it is as easy to control the robot with the human mind as it is manually.

"It's a very positive step," says Paul Smith, executive director of The Spinal Injuries Association in London. "The psychological benefits it would offer are huge."

The current options to give freedom of movement to people who are quadriplegic are limited, says Smith. For example, it is possible to steer a wheelchair using a chin-operated joystick or by blowing into a thin tube.

But both options can be exhausting - and they are not suitable for those with very limited movement.

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