Faraday Upper Background Image Alt Text

Subject key:

  • Science
  • Design & Technology
  • Engineering
  • Maths

Student age:

  • Under 11
  • 11-14
  • 14-16
  • 16+
Brainwaves theme - Spotlight

Engineers Can Read Your Mind

Science Design and Technology Appropriate for children aged 11 to 14 Appropriate for children aged 14 to 16

Type: Starter

The use of different types of signals is hugely important in all areas of healthcare. Signal processing engineers are involved in everything from extracting information from the body’s own electrical and chemical signals to using wireless signals to allow search-and-rescue robot swarms to communicate with each other.

Together with related activities, this resource allows students to investigate the wide range of sophisticated imaging technology available in modern hospitals, and to explore the latest ideas in search-and-rescue robotics.

Activity info,  teachers’ notes and curriculum links
This activity encourages students to think about new technologies and how difficult it is to predict their future development and application. The handout 'Reading minds' is an introduction on how the engineering field of biomedical signal processing is helping doctors understand the brain and treat patients.

The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The 'Mind Scanner' challenge is an extension activity that allows students to do a bit of future gazing. The challenge looks at how future compact mind scanner technology could be used and by whom - considering both ethical and economic issues.

Remember, it’s all free!... and registration is free too!
All activity sheets and supporting resources (including film clips!) are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students' and your schools' needs.

You can stream and download the related films for free by clicking on the appropriate link in the Related resources section below.

Related resources

Engineering context

Supporting multimedia

The story

Brainwaves quiz

Test your knowledge of biomedical signal processing and see if you can identify the X-ray at the end

Related activities

  • Brainwaves theme - Spotlight

    Videos: 1
    Games: 1
    Quiz: 1

    Engineers Can Read Your Mind

    Science Design and Technology Appropriate for children aged 11 to 14 Appropriate for children aged 14 to 16

    Encouraging students to think about new technologies and to predict their future development and application

  • Brainwaves theme - Spotlight

    Videos: 1
    Games: 1
    Quiz: 1

    Making Waves

    Science Design and Technology Appropriate for children aged 11 to 14 Appropriate for children aged 14 to 16

    Looking at the properties and applications of waves and types of electromagnetic radiation used in imaging techniques

  • Brainwaves theme - Spotlight

    Videos: 2
    Games: 1
    Quiz: 1

    Which Imaging Technique?

    Science Design and Technology Appropriate for children aged 11 to 14 Appropriate for children aged 14 to 16

    Students work in teams to select a method of medical imaging appropriate to a particular medical condition

  • Brainwaves theme - Spotlight

    Videos: 2
    Games: 1
    Quiz: 1

    Which Imaging Technique? Practical

    Science Design and Technology Appropriate for children aged 11 to 14 Appropriate for children aged 14 to 16

    A practical session investigating aspects of signal processing, converting analogue signals into a digital format

  • Brainwaves theme - Spotlight

    Videos: 2
    Games: 1
    Quiz: 1

    Robot Swarms

    Science Design and Technology Appropriate for children aged 11 to 14 Appropriate for children aged 14 to 16

    Students work in teams to create a set of rules to control a robot swarm in search-and-rescue scenarios