Brain Computer Interfaces for the Operation of Commercial Assistive Technology

描述（由申请人提供）：脑机接口（BCI）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资可以在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的操作的物理输入设备，以最小的成本和努力将BCI与商业AT的全部益处联系起来。同时，即插即用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势。此外，虽然当前的BCI仅提供极低的键入速率和不准确的鼠标移动，但是用于缓慢键入和进行不准确的鼠标移动的人的操作的商业AT的设计可以使即插即用BCI比单独的BCI专用设备更有功能。本研究将通过以下具体目标来评估基于脑电图（EEG）的脑机接口与商用AT设备的接口和控制能力：1）在NIH资助的BCI 2000研究平台内开发功能，以产生通用/即插即用输出，从而可以取代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控制商用AT的能力; 3）评估AT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界面的准确性。新的通用/即插即用BCI功能的创建和评估，以及向使用BCI 2000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。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复制AT功能，并向AT从业者揭示BCI技术的当前状态对其患有进行性或极严重残疾的客户的有用性。最终，拟议的工作将在其当前BCI的临床实用性方面对BCI社区提出挑战，新的BCI功能将简化为退行性疾病患者提供的BCI，这些患者可以从物理接口过渡到控制AT到相同AT设备的BCI操作。通过弥合发展中的脑机接口技术和AT的既定领域之间的差距，拟议的研究应该推进临床实用的脑机接口的发展，为那些最严重的身体障碍和其他人谁可能受益于接口操作没有物理运动。拟议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，这将是一种简单且具有成本效益的策略，因为仍然可以使用先前购买的AT设备（以及投入的时间和精力），其中BCI取代了先前使用的物理接口。在NIH资助的BCI 2000研究平台中创建新的BCI功能，该平台被全球100多个研究实验室使用，将影响BCI研究的整个领域。

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.