Biotech Byte: Using Brain Signals to Control a Virtual Reality
Alison Muller
VR headset and electrodes to detect brainwaves
Imagine being able to control a virtual reality, or even an external electronic device using just your mind, AND a funky, soft, wireless “hat”! Research led by Woon-Heong Yeo at the Georgia Institute of Technology uses virtual reality as a tool to understand, assess, and demonstrate how brain signals transform into intended movement. This works because our brains emit electrical activity (signals) which can be measured using the EEG (electroencephalography) technique.
EEGs were invented in 1929 by Hans Berger, who was initially inspired by the telegraph and the search for a biological basis for “psychic” events. They are similar to electrocardiographs (ECGs/EKGs) which record the electrical activity of the heart, invented earlier in 1895 by Dr. Willem Einthoven. Since then, scientists and doctors have been recording and studying electrical activity of both the heart and the brain for decades. EEGs are used them for various research and diagnostic purposes, including predicting, detecting, and analyzing seizures.
Brain-machine interface toys: Mindflex, Necomimi, and Star Wars Force Trainer
One of the most exciting uses of EEG technology is the development of brain-machine interfaces (BMIs). Commercially, there are a few products that use a basic form of this technology including emotive cat ears (Neurowear), a Star Wars force trainer (Uncle Milton), a tabletop game called Mindflex (Mattel), and a few video games (NeuroSky, Inc.). In the medical field, BMI technology is being used in the rehabilitation and bionic limb development fields. Using electronic brain signals to control bionic limbs has been in development as early as 2014, where researchers from John Hopkins University were recognized for their work as one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Brain-Computer Interface Projects. Check out the 2020 international winning projects here. There are videos!
Virtual reality imagery, real-time EEGs, and headset from Mahmood et al publication
Using brain signals to control a virtual reality is just one step in developing technology to allow humans to “telepathically” communicate with electronics. One of the biggest hurdles in this technology is creating a strong connection between the user’s head and the brain signal detection technology. Traditionally, EEG systems need gels/pastes underneath a head-covering cap (think swim-cap),c covered with a chaotic network of wires in order to accurately collect signals. Yeo’s research team was able to develop a simpler, wireless “hat” that uses imperceptible microneedle electrodes with soft wireless circuits and can be worn over hair. It’s definitely more comfortable than in The Matrix, where a probe is inserted into the base of the skull. Research subjects testing the technology were able to manipulate virtual objects using motor imagery, correlated with activating the motor cortex region of the brain. Although there is still more research to be done, in the future, this technology could be used for bionic limbs, wheelchairs, and so much more!
If you are interested in checking out the original scientific article,
click here
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