Hello everyone! I've been working on some a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) project for a while, so I'm back to cover it and give you some information if you're interested in the field. Let's begin!
Essentially, this term refers to a system that connects the brain to external technology. As an example, someone with a prosthetic limb will be able to move the device with just their mind. Another example would be BCIs are also being used as commercial products, such as the Muse™, OpenBCI, and many more. With these great uses, researchers are currently working on BCIs to create non-invasive* devices that can use neural code**. (Invasive devices are those that require them to be placed inside the user for them to perform their use. Some people might not be able to use this because of complications with their health, or simply for privacy reasons.) More information about the neural code I used for my experiment will be mentioned in more posts by myself in the future.
Figure 1: An image of the OpenBCI cap. Figure 2: The typical BCI process.
The first part of a BCI is the data from the brain. (Since I used EEG in my experiment, I'll talk about it.) Electroencephalography (EEG) is the measure of electrical activity in the brain using metal discs called electrodes. Using a commercial device, (I used the Muse™) you can place it onto your head and use the designated technology to see the electrical activity of the brain. As you perform certain movements, (see figure 3 for some examples) the lines of the chart will make certain waves called artifacts. (Artifacts can include cardiac, pulse, respiratory,and eye movements. Click here for more information) There are different lines that are moving on the graph. (see figure 4)
Figure 3: How the graph looks with certain movements.
Figure 4: Different type of waves.
The next part of a BCI is using a device to use that data and make it into something a separate device can understand. I'll make sure to cover this in move detail in my next article! For now, this includes taking the data, getting into the computer (with Bluetooth or cable), turning the graph data into numbers, and using those numbers as commands for the device that you would like to control. (See figure 2 for the process.) This part is where you can start innovating for yourself! There are many resources online that have all the information needed for you to gather the code and information for every single step of the process.
The last, and final part, of a BCI is the device that the BCI controls. In my case, I used a robotic arm to grab and move objects with the opening and closing of my eyes. This technology has many uses, including providing mobility for those who don't have it, improving the workplace by monitoring the mental health of workers, and prevent accidents with automobile drivers by ensuring that the person is alert and if auto drive is needed because the the health of the driver. This can also be used to help those with Alzheimer's, ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a disease that affects the nerve cells in spinal cord and the brain. This is the same disease that Stephen Hawking had.) and other neuromuscular diseases navigate the world around them and interact with the people they love.
*In the case of BCIs, non-invasive means that the device doesn't go inside the body.
**Neural code, as ScienceDirect describes is "the study of information processing by neurons."
Thank you everyone for reading until the end! Next post will be about step 2 of the BCI process. If you have any recommendations for what you would like me to write about next, you can comment underneath this post or reach out to me on my email!(abgm6009@gmail.com) You can also check out the bibliography for this post if you're interested in more sources.
And as always, stay beyond the limit!
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