Brain Computer Interfaces for the Operation of Commercial Assistive Technology

描述(申请人提供)：脑机接口(BCI)，它可以控制技术而不需要身体运动，为有严重运动障碍的人提供了巨大的潜在好处。遗憾的是，大多数当前的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资可能会在BCI专用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，以与商业AT接口。这些BCI可以取代用于商业AT操作的物理输入设备，以最低的成本和努力将BCI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好处。此外，虽然目前的BCI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操作的商业AT的设计可以使即插即用BCI比单独使用BCI专用设备更具功能。拟议的工作将评估基于脑电(EEG)的BCI与商业AT设备对接和控制的能力，具体目标如下：1)在NIH资助的BCI2000研究平台内开发功能，以产生通用/即插即用输出，以取代用于操作商业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BCI控制商业AT的能力；以及3)评估AT所产生的功能对BCI性能的影响，这些功能旨在提高身体能力有限的人操作接口的准确性。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操作的应用。这将使BCI研究人员能够利用商业上可用的AT，而不是投入时间和精力重复AT功能，并向AT从业者揭示BCI技术的当前状态对其进展性或极严重残疾客户的有用性。最终，拟议的工作将挑战BCI社区关于其当前BCI的临床应用，新的BCI功能将简化为患有退行性疾病的人提供的BCI，他们可以从物理接口过渡到控制相同AT设备的BCI操作。通过弥合发展中的脑-机接口技术和已建立的脑-机接口领域之间的差距，拟议的研究将促进临床实用脑-机接口的发展，适用于那些有最严重的身体障碍的人，以及可能受益于无需身体运动的接口的其他人。拟议工作的主要目标是创建和评估能够操作商业上可用的辅助技术(AT)的通用/即插即用脑计算机接口(BCI)。对于残障人士和AT从业者来说，这将是一个简单且具有成本效益的策略，因为随着BCI取代以前使用的物理接口，仍然可以利用以前购买的AT设备(以及在这些设备上投入的时间和精力)。在NIH资助的BCI2000研究平台中创建新的BCI功能将影响整个BCI研究领域，该平台被全球100多个研究实验室使用。

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.