Can You Help Us to Enhance Communication for Children using Brain-Computer Interface?

Summary

Some children are unable to communicate by speaking. There are a range of tools and strategies that these children can use to help them communicate with others.

One set of technologies that is being developed is called “Brain Computer Interface” or “BCI” for short. BCI is a technology where the brain to communicates directly with a computer that detects and translates the brain’s signals. Specifically, BCI uses electroencephalography (EEG) recordings of the electrical activity of the brain. BCI is a relatively new technology and our understanding of how different BCI systems work for children is still evolving.

One type of BCI system for communication flashes pictures of different objects on a screen while the person focuses on the object they want to select. The BCI then tries to identify which picture the user was paying attention to.

The purpose of this research study is to test how modifying the timing of flashes and altering the computer’s method for making predictions influence the accuracy of the BCI system. To assess these differences, children and adolescents with no known neurological conditions are needed to test the BCI system.