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Generic Brain-computer Interface for Social and Human-computer Interaction

Authors:
Julita de la Vega Arias
Christoph Hintermüller
Christoph Guger

Keywords: Brain-Computer Interface; BCI; P300; Visual Evoked Potentials; speller; Second Life; Virtual Smart Home

Abstract:
After suffering a more severe disease like spinal cord injury or stroke patients are often not able to interact or even communicate with their environment anymore, especially at the beginning of rehabilitation. Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) can substitute this temporarily lost communication channels and might support rehabilitation by providing an alternative way for controlling a computer only by thoughts without any muscle activity. This enables the patient to communicate by writing letters on the screen, to stay socially in contact with friends or people outside the rehabilitation facility by participating in games like Second Life, where they may appear as healthy persons. Another application isto control items in their room connected to the BCI system like the lights which can be turned off and on as it can be done in a virtual smart home without leaving the bed. In this paper, the technology of such BCIs and the mentioned applications are described utilizing the P300 approach. A generic BCI interface is presented, which allows controlling them and concurrently and transparently switching among them. The results of a recent study show that a BCI can be used by patients suffering from cervical spinal cord injury almost as well as by healthy people which encourages us to think it may assist rehabilitation regarding the social aspect. A variety of BCI can be implemented with the aim of provide them a more active and accessible lives.

Pages: 145 to 149

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2012

Publication date: January 30, 2012

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4138

ISBN: 978-1-61208-177-9

Location: Valencia, Spain

Dates: from January 30, 2012 to February 4, 2012