A staff member displays a DJI Innovations DJI Phantom 3 4K drone during the CES show in Las Vegas, the United States, Jan. 4, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua/Yang Lei]

The future may be arriving sooner than many would expect. A competition where 16 University of Florida students used their mind to control drones show great potential of new technology for paralyzed patients.

Wearing special headsets that can measure electrical activity of brains, the students tried their best to concentrate on sending their drones to fly faster than others.

The headset is known as brain-computer interface, which enables a person to use brainwaves to control a computer. The system is designed to assist paralyzed patients control prosthetic body parts.

Juan Gilbert, a professor leading the project, said the drone race is merely a test of the new technology, while the real implications are far beyond the race.

"It's fascinating. It's the first of its kind. It's the future," he said.

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