PHYSICS PROJECT

BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE

Name : JESWIN SAMUEL

Class: 11

Section: A
About Brain Computer Interface

A
brain-computer interface (BCI) is a device that directly
translates brain signals into actions for computer software,
such as a text editor, or a device, such as a TV. A BCI is a
device that consists of sensors in the form of electrodes that
measure brain signals , an amplifier to boost the faint brain
signals, and a computer that translates the signals into
commands to control computer programs and devices. The
components of BCIs can be made portable and wearable. BCI
controlled devices span the range from assistive technology
for people with paralysis, to internet devices such as a smart
phone for people and simple computer games or toys such as
a small helicopter for kids.
Users of BCI
There are currently many groups busy developing BCIs for a
variety of applications and types of users. Many of the
applications are intended for temporary use and require no
permanent installation. Rehabilitation devices to help people
recover from injuries, and game controllers for gaming
people, are examples of its various uses. Some BCIs are
intended to permanently replace a function that has been lost
or impaired due to injury or disease such as the loss of hand
function due to stroke.

In the case of temporary BCIs such as game controllers,

several commercial devices are available. All current gaming
BCIs are based on technology that measures brain signals
with electrodes built into a cap or headband. While these
systems can be fun to play with,  the performance of such
systems is not yet good enough to make them viable
replacements for a physical impairment.

Medical BCI applications require a high degree of accuracy

because the consequences of device failure are much more
severe.
frequent mistakes in a BCI device include unintended
movement  of a robot arm or wheelchair which can cause
serious injury. Many groups are working hard to bring BCIs
up to the standards of medical applications. These devices are
not only being developed with electrodes placed on the head
with a cap or headband, but also with sensors that can be
implanted in or on the brain directly. In these cases, the risk of
surgery is outweighed by the benefit of better performance
relative to what has been achieved so far with electrodes
placed on the scalp.People that stand to benefit the most from
a BCI are those suffering from severe paralysis.  Injuries
located closer to the brain generally lead to higher grades of
paralysis and more loss of function. In rare cases the paralysis
is so extreme that the afflicted person is able to move almost
no part of their body. This condition is known as ‘locked-in
syndrome’, or LIS. BCI devices that allow people who are
paralyzed from the neck down to control a robot arm by
imagining moving their own arm have successfully been
tested. However, it remains unclear how much time is needed
to improve these systems to the point that they can be made
commercially available and affordable for people who are
suffering from extreme paralysis.
W
orking of a BCI

Brain signals

A BCI records and interprets or decodes brain signals. Brain

cells (neurons) communicate with each other  by sending and
receiving very small electrical signals. It is possible to ‘listen’
to these signals and these are generally referred to as ‘brain
activity’ with the help of advanced electrical sensors. Healthy
people are able to move because the brain sends signals via
the central nervous system to the muscles of the body. All
interaction of a person such as speaking or shaking hands
requires precise communication between the brain and
muscles. Medical conditions such as stroke or neuromuscular
diseases can disrupt or break the communication between the
brain and body muscles and lead to paralysis or the loss of the
ability to control one’s body, such as cerebral palsy. However,
in many cases the brain still generates the activity for intended
movements and a BCI can use the brain activity to control
assistive devices.
Measuring brain signals

Brain signals can be measure with various techniques that

each have pros and cons. A commonly used technique is
electroencephalograph (EEG). This technique uses electrical
sensors (electrodes) that are placed on the scalp.Electrodes
can also be placed under the scalp directly on or in the brain
tissue. A surgical procedure is necessary to place such
electrodes. Electrodes that are placed on the surface of the
brain do not damage the brain. The quality of this signal is
significantly better that signals recorded from the scalp.Other
techniques for measuring brain activity are functional MRI
(fMRI), which measures brain activity with a MRI-scanner,
and magnetoencephalography (MEG), which measures brain
activity with an MEG-scanner. Both of these techniques
require large and expensive machines that will not become
suitable for home users. An additional technique is near-
infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), which measures brain activity
by shining near-infrared light through the skull. NIRS can be
made portable and does not require any surgery. However, at
this time the quality of the brain activity measurement is not
sufficient for use with BCIs.
Brain Function

In general each part of the body has its own ‘control center’ in
the brain that is responsible for orchestrating it movements.
For example making a fist with your left hand and wiggling
your right big toe are controlled by distinct areas in your
brain.

The different techniques used to measure brain activity can

‘see’ when different control centers are active. This allows
BCIs to detect the movement of body parts from the brain
activity. A special quality of the brain is that these control
centers are also active why you simply think about making a
movement without actually moving.

In addition to movements a number of other brain functions

can be detected. For example, there is a small area in the brain
that is activated when you do a numeric calculation in your
head. Other areas are involved in different aspects of
understanding language and speaking. When these areas are
active a BCI can detect if a person is adding in their head, or
is talking.
Conlcusion

It is important to realize that a BCI is not able to read a

person’s thought or inner speech. BCIs are only able to detect
when the specific brain area that they are focused on is active.
The current technology is far from being able to detect or
interpret the activity of different types of complex brain
functions within a specific area.