Brain Computer Interfaces for the Operation of Commercial Assistive Technology

描述（由申请人提供）：脑机接口（bci），它可以在没有身体运动的情况下控制技术，为有严重运动障碍的人提供了巨大的潜在益处。遗憾的是，目前大多数bci都是专用设备，主要与bci专用软件接口，仅提供有限的功能。虽然大量的时间和金钱投入可以在特定于bci的设备中复制商业辅助技术（AT）的一些功能，但更好的方法是创建具有通用/即插即用输出的bci，以便与商业AT接口。这些脑机接口可以取代商业AT运行的物理输入设备，以最小的成本和努力将脑机接口与商业AT的全部好处联系起来。同时，即插即用的BCI方法保留了商业At产品固有的产品测试和技术支持的优点。此外，虽然目前的脑机接口只提供极低的打字率和不准确的鼠标移动，但为打字缓慢和鼠标移动不准确的人设计的商业AT可以使即插即用的脑机接口比单独的脑机接口设备更有功能。拟议的工作将评估基于脑电图（EEG）的脑机接口的能力，通过以下具体目标与商用AT设备进行接口和控制：1)在美国国立卫生研究院资助的BCI2000研究平台内开发功能，以生产通用/即插即用输出，可以取代用于操作商用AT的标准类型的物理输入设备（开关，键盘和鼠标）；2)研究这些通用/即插即用的bci控制商用AT的能力；3)评估为提高肢体能力有限的人操作界面的准确性而设计的AT特征对脑机接口性能的影响。新的通用/即插即用BCI功能的创建和评估，以及向使用BCI2000的100多个研究实验室提供新的BCI功能，预计将使任何商业AT设备成为潜在的BCI操作应用程序。这将使脑机接口研究人员能够利用商业上可用的脑机接口，而不是花费时间和精力复制脑机接口的功能，并向脑机接口从业人员揭示脑机接口技术当前状态对进行性或极度严重残疾的客户的有用性。最终，拟议的工作将挑战脑机接口社区目前脑机接口的临床应用，新的脑机接口功能将简化脑机接口提供给退行性疾病患者，他们可以从控制AT的物理接口过渡到相同AT设备的脑机接口操作。通过弥合发展中的脑机接口技术与已建立的AT领域之间的差距，拟议的研究应促进临床实用脑机接口的发展，为那些最严重的身体障碍和其他可能受益于无需身体运动的接口。提出的工作的主要目标是创建和评估通用/即插即用脑机接口（bci），可以操作商业上可用的辅助技术（AT）。对于残疾人和AT从业者来说，这将是一种简单且经济有效的策略，因为以前购买的AT设备（以及投入的时间和精力）仍然可以利用，BCI取代以前使用的物理接口。在美国国立卫生研究院资助的BCI2000研究平台上创建新的BCI功能，该平台被全球100多个研究实验室使用，将影响整个BCI研究领域。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Brain computer interfaces (BCIs), which can control technology without physical movement offer great potential benefit to people with significant movement impairments. Regrettably, most current BCIs are dedicated devices that interface primarily with BCI-specific software, providing only limited functionality. While a significant investment of time and money could duplicate some of the functionality of commercial assistive technology (AT) in BCI-specific devices, a better approach is to create BCIs with universal/plug-and-play outputs to interface with commercial AT. These BCIs could replace physical input devices for the operation of commercial AT, linking BCIs with the full benefit of commercial AT at a minimum of cost and effort. At the same time, a plug-and-play BCI approach retains the benefits of product testing and technical support inherent in commercial AT products. Further, while current BCIs provide only extremely low typing rates and inaccurate mouse movements, the design of commercial AT for operation by people who type slowly and make inaccurate mouse movements could make plug-and-play BCIs more functional than BCI-specific devices alone. The proposed work will evaluate the capabilities of BCIs based on electroencephalogram (EEG) to interface with and control commercially available AT devices through the following specific aims: 1) Develop functionality within the NIH-funded BCI2000 research platform to produce universal/plug-and- play outputs that can replace the standard types of physical input devices (switch, keyboard and mouse) used to operate commercial AT; 2) Study the ability of these universal/plug-and-play BCIs to control commercial AT; and 3) Evaluate the effect on BCI performance produced by AT features designed to improve accuracy of interface operation by people with limited physical abilities. The creation and evaluation of new universal/plug-and-play BCI functionality and the provision of the new BCI functionality to the over 100 research labs that utilize the BCI2000 is expected to make any commercial AT device into a potentially BCI-operated application. This will enable BCI researchers to utilize commercially available AT instead of investing time and effort duplicating AT functionality and reveal to AT practitioners the usefulness of the current state of BCI technology for their clients with progressive or extremely severe disabilities. Ultimately, the proposed work will challenge the BCI community in regards to the clinical utility of their current BCIs and the new BCI functionality will streamline BCI provision for people with degenerative conditions who could transition from physical interfaces to control AT to BCI operation of the same AT devices. By bridging the gap between the developing BCI technology and the established field of AT, the proposed research should advance the development of clinically practical BCIs for those with the most severe physical impairments and for others who may benefit from interfaces operable without physical movement. The primary objectives of the proposed work are to create and evaluate universal/plug-and-play brain computer interfaces (BCIs) that can operate commercially available assistive technology (AT). This would be a simple and cost-effective strategy for people with disabilities and AT practitioners, since previously purchased AT devices (and the time and effort invested in them) could still be utilized, with the BCI replacing a previously used physical interface. Creating the new BCI functionality within the NIH-funded BCI2000 research platform, which is utilized by more than 100 research labs worldwide, will impact the entire field of BCI research.