16 September 2018

Computers & Graphics Article

A few days ago, HCI Lab researchers published a paper at Computers and Graphics entitled "Embodied VR environment facilitates training in motor imagery brain-computer interfaces". Motor imagery (MI) is the predominant control paradigm for nowadays brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). After sufficient training effort is invested, the accuracy of commands mediated by mental imagery of bodily movements grows to satisfactory level. However, many issues with MI-BCIs persist; e.g. long and tiresome training, low bit transfer rate, BCI illiteracy. This study aims at addressing the issues with MI-BCI training. In order to facilitate easier and faster learning, an embodied training environment was created.


Participants were placed into virtual reality scene seen from a first-person view of a human-like avatar, and the mental rehearsal of MI actions was accompanied with corresponding movements performed by the avatar. Leveraging extension of the sense of ownership, agency, and self-location towards non-body object has already been proven to help produce stronger MI EEG correlates. In this work, these principles were used to facilitate the MI-BCI training process for the first time. After two training sessions and final evaluation, the results show significantly higher classification accuracy and score for the group trained in embodied environment, compared to the control group trained with standard MI-BCI training protocol with arrows.

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