| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/F033818/1 |
| Title: |
Analogue Evolutionary Brain Computer Interfaces |
| Principal Investigator: |
Poli, Professor R |
| Other Investigators: |
|
| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
|
| Project Partners: |
|
| Department: |
Computer Sci and Electronic Engineering |
| Organisation: |
University of Essex |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research |
| Starts: |
01 June 2008 |
Ends: |
31 May 2011 |
Value (£): |
364,770
|
| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Biomedical neuroscience |
Human-Computer Interactions |
| New & Emerging Comp. Paradigms |
|
|
| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
|
|
| Related Grants: |
|
| Panel History: |
| Panel Date | Panel Name | Outcome |
|
06 Dec 2007
|
ICT Prioritisation Panel (Technology)
|
Announced
|
|
|
Summary on Grant Application Form |
|
The keyboard is a piece of plastic with lots of switches, which provides us with a reliable, but very unnatural form of input. The mouse is slightly less primitive. Still, it is only an electro-mechanical transducer of musculoskeletal movement. Both have been with us for many years and are still the best computer interfaces we have at the moment, yet they are unusable for people with severe musculoskeletal disorders and are themselves known causes of work-related upper-limb and back disorders: both hugely widespread problems for the UK's workforce.Wouldn't it be nice some day to be able to dispose of them and replace them with Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) capable of directly interpreting the desires and intentions of computer users?This adventurous proposal aims to carry out an innovative and ambitious interdisciplinary research programme at the edge of Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience and Psychology aimed at developing precisely these devices with a novel powerful BCI approach recently developed by the applicants.BCI has been a dream of researchers for many years, but developments have been slow and, with rare exceptions, BCI is still effectively a curiosity that can be used only in the lab. So, what's different about this project?In very recent research, we were able to develop a prototype BCI mouse capable of full 2-D motion control (a rarity in the BCI world), which uniquely can be used by any person without any prior training within minutes. This was possible thanks to our taking a completely innovative approach to BCI. Previous BCI designs were based on the paradigm of observing EEG signals looking for specific features or waves, manipulating them and then making a yes-or-no decision as to whether such features or waves were present. Contrary to this design wisdom, we completely dispose of the decision step and allow brain waves to directly control the computer via simple analogue transformations. Furthermore, we only partially design the system, leaving the completion and customisation of the design for each specific user to an evolutionary algorithm. This, thanks to an artificial form of Darwinian evolution inside the computer, performs the difficult tasks of selecting the best EEG channels, waves and analogue manipulations. Using these same two ingredients (analogue approach and evolutionary design) and starting from our successful experimental BCI mouse, this project specifically aims at developing brain-computer interfaces which are sufficiently robust, flexible and cheap to leave the lab and that can start making a serious impact in the real world.To maximise performance, preliminary work will determine the optimal visual presentation conditions that minimise cognitive load, perceptual errors and target-distractors interference.
|
|
Key Findings |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Potential use in non-academic contexts |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Impacts |
|
| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
|
| Date Materialised |
|
|
|
|
Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
| Project URL: |
|
| Further Information: |
|
| Organisation Website: |
http://www.sx.ac.uk |