Wearable, non-invasive brain devices for communication
Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) come in two forms: invasive and non-invasive. Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces have seen explosive growth in the last decade, as electroencephalography (EEG) devices have moved out of the confines of the lab and into the real world. At home devices now exist for meditation, sleep, and controlling virtual reality interfaces - truly remarkable progress. Because of the advancements in sensor technology, these devices are available to everyone, not just laboratory researchers. That has enabled an increasing suite of non-invasive BCI applications that are entering commercial and clinical use today. By combining modalities, including head gaze, eye tracking, EEG, other functional systems are now being created to allow heads up communication in less able-bodied individuals, replacing the “BCI spellers” from decades ago. While these immediate applications are enabling communication for these individuals, able-bodied individuals are also seeing benefits including new control interfaces for augmented reality and virtual reality. These systems are currently in hands and on heads! The next few years will show their rapid adoption, first in clinical/speech markets, and then adjacent markets.
An excellent visual map of BCI by the BrainMind organization
To learn more, read our Blog on the Future of Brain Computer Interfaces and for a deeper dive, watch our Webinar on the same topic.