New applications through revolutionary BNCI technologies

Digital Economy & Society department from European Commission shows an article about BNCI - Brain-Neural-Computer-Interaction. This area investigates how brain activity can be recorded and used to interact with an electronic device. It uses electroencephalography (EEG) in combination with electromyography (EMG) captured from muscles electrical signals.

BNCI is an information channel for sending messages and control commands direct from the brain to theexternal world. The critical progress needed for BNCI proliferation is not only in technical terms:

• Economy of scale – BNCI should be made useful to a wider group of users. Beyond the design for people with disabilities, a possible spill over to mainstream technologies could reduce costs and increase performance.
• Cool Design – In BNCI systems, in particular, the sensor should be cosmetically appealing to a broad range of users. Also, usability is of primary importance in people's perception.
• Zero Training – Preparation time and the presence of experts to set up BNCI should be reduced in the future – ideally the user can use the BNCI system independently.
• Interdisciplinary research - Stimulating increased networking and co-operation among engineering disciplines, computer science, neuroscience, psychology, medicine and bio-physiology.

For more information about BCI/EEG press here.

The future of BCI - From the state of the art to Vision

The BNCI Horizon 2020 Consortium have just released the final version of the roadmap for the field of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).

• Who should read this roadmap?
• Aim and Executive summary
• What is a BCI and Vision for 2025
• Use case scenarios
• Unlocking the locked-in and NeuroTutor
• BCI-controlled neuroprosthesis
• Hybrid BCI-driven FES for stroke rehabilitation
• Research tool for cognitive neuroscience
• Horizon 2020 and the place for BCIs
• BCI market, stakeholders and Ethics
• General recommendations
• Appendix
• Research, Industry and End Users
• Use cases, focus groups and BCI Society
• Consortium

Vision for 2025

"In 2025, a wide array of applications will use brain signals as an important source of information. We will see routine applications in professional context, personal health monitoring, and medical treatment. We envision a future where humans and information technology are seamlessly and intuitively connected by integrating various biosignals, particularly brain activity. People will be supported in choosing the best time for making difficult and important decisions. People working in safety-relevant fields will be capable of anticipating fatigue, and authorities may find good (evidence-based) reasons to incorporate such applications in regulations. (...)"

The following graph shows the potential that the BCI has for the next two decades:

It's also possible to download the summarized roadmapping activities. For more informations visit bnci-horizon-2020.eu

The Future of Brain/Neural Computer Interaction: Horizon 2020

The European Commission's Framework Programme 7 as created a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) called BNCI Horizon 2020. This project aims to foster communication and collaboration among stakeholders in the field of BCIs.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have become a popular topic for research in recent years. A BCI is a communication device which allows people to control applications through direct measures of their brain activity. A BNCI (brain/neuronal computer interaction) system extends a BCI by including other physiological measures such as muscle or eye movement signals. 

The number of BCI research groups around the world, peer-reviewed journal articles, conference abstracts, and attendance at relevant conferences are indicators of the rapid growth of this field. With dozens of companies and research groups actively participating in the development of BCIs and related technologies, collaboration, a common terminology, and a clear roadmap have become important topics.

For more informations visit the Horizon 2020 Web page.