Real-world applications for brain-computer interface technology

The mission of the Georgia State University BrainLab is to create and adapt methods of human-computer interaction that will allow brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies to effectively control real-world applications. Most of the existing BCI applications were designed largely for training and demonstration purposes. Our goal is to research ways of transitioning BCI control skills learned in training to real-world scenarios. Our research explores some of the problems and challenges of combining BCI outputs with human-computer interface paradigms in order to achieve optimal interaction. We utilize a variety of application domains to compare and validate BCI interactions, including communication, environmental control, neural prosthetics, and creative expression. The goal of this research is to improve quality of life for those with severe disabilities.

I. Introduction

Although significant progress has been made in researching brain–computer interface technologies in recent years, the applications controlled by these interfaces have largely been designed for training or demonstration purposes. The Georgia State University (GSU) BrainLab is devoted to researching and developing interaction techniques that will allow BCIs to be effective in real-world applications. To this end, we employ and compare a variety of underlying BCI signal-processing and translation techniques.