Abstract—Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is a system that identifies the functional intent, to interact with the

surrounding environment, from the neuro-electric activity in the brain. This paper uses the BrainSense device,
an EEG acquisitor, to acquire brain activity data from eye blink patterns. These are then processed and classified
into different labels used as movement instructions for motors. The intention for this study is to develop a BCI
system that allows quadriplegic individuals to operate a wheelchair without the need for physical/manual labor.
Before prototyping, the control system was modeled in a simulation environment using Arduino microcontroller
as the main processor. Based on the results a small-size wheelchair model was created and tested to determine the
feasibility of the system on a broader scale. Performance metrics include the accuracy between intention and
translated execution. It was evident that performance significantly improved with 30 minutes of training prior
usage to 97.22% accuracy. The proposed system can have a long lasting impact on the healthcare industry in
Bangladesh by aiding and enhancing the lives of people with disabilities.

Keywords— Brain Computer Interface (BCI); eye blink; EEG signal; modified wheelchair

Introduction:

The Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is a device that analyzes brain activity to detect functional purpose, or the
intention to manipulate or communicate with anything in our environment [1]. Accurate translation of thoughts into
manipulatable electrical signals to do a variety of tasks is achievable.

Paralysis is characterized by a temporary or permanent restriction of movement in a single limb (monoplegia) or

multiple limbs (quadriplegia). Growing paralysis can cause the sufferer to become increasingly dependent on others,
while also feeling as though they are a burden to their family and friends [2]. Paralysis may affect a patient’s face as
well, making verbal communication tough. Constant supervision [3] is therefore vital to avoid life-threatening
events.

This study develops and evaluates a low-cost brain-controlled wheelchair for paraplegic people. The BCI method of
detecting and presenting brain waves is used to control this wheelchair, built on an Arduino platform. The
cost-friendly Brainsense EEG headset is used to record human brain wave patterns. The prototype wheelchair is
operated by blinking the eyes because this action normally produces a strong EEG signal pulse. The wheelchair can
be activated, controlled and stopped by the user blinking their eye. A direction-led board is used to indicate the
directions in which the user wants to go with a four-second interval. Our model also has an integrated obstacle and
fall detection system to automatically detect and notify caretakers in case of emergencies. The prototype wheelchair
will be tested for its ability to actuate intended movement, follow specified path, avoid obstacles, and halt on
obstacle detection.

The subsequent section II goes over several forms of relevant work carried out by others. Methodology as well as
system design and development are then covered in Section III. Section IV displays the implementation of the
proposed wheelchair system. Section V includes the results and analysis of our proposed wheelchair prototype and
the findings from our analysis. Finally, Section VI wraps up the article with a conclusion that highlights some facts
and implications, as well as potential future research.
Methodology and system design:

In this paper, we are proposing a BCI based control mechanism for wheelchairs where we are extracting the eye
blink count from the EEG signal and translating it into movement commands. The mechanism we have developed
for the wheelchair control system is based on the use of an off-the-shelf EEG acquisition device. In [15], the authors
have shown that when people blink there is a noticeable fluctuation in the acquired EEG signal. Using the same
fluctuations, we are extracting the blink count from the EEG signal of the user.

Fig: Fluctuation in EEG while blinking [15]

The off-the-shelf EEG acquisition device we will be using for the development of the system is the BrainSense EEG
headset. The device uses the same TGAM1 [16] module as the Neurosky Mindwave Mobile 2 [17]. In the paper [18]
the authors have also found a clear threshold for blink strength when a forceful blink happens. The thresholding in a
graphical representation is presented below.

Fig: Blink strength during single and double blink [18]

It is evident from previous research that a number of forced blinks can be extracted from the EEG signal. So, the
EEG acquisition device can be utilized to develop the system and send brain signal over Bluetooth to the main
processing unit, an Arduino Mega. The microprocessor then classifies the number of forced blinks from the user and
uses this as an actuating gesture. The system requires a total of two consecutive forced blinks in order to activate
itself and start taking commands for moving in any direction. There is a board indicating different directions, which
starts illuminating one by one after the system is activated. After actuation, the illuminated direction changes every 4
seconds. When the user blinks, the developed system gives a command to move the wheelchair in whatever
direction is illuminated. During the execution of the movement command, if the user blinks once the system stops
itself. Once stopped, the wheelchair is again ready to take commands, which are notified to the user by the
illuminated direction board. If no blinking is done by the user for 20 seconds, the system will disable the command
accepting mode and deactivate itself. During the deactivated phase, the control system requires double forced blinks
again to activate and to start taking commands to move in any direction. The major concerning factor here is the
unintended actuation of the control mechanism due to the natural blinking of the eye. To eliminate this risk the
proposed system uses thresholding on the blink strength of the users. From our research, we have found the blink
strength extracted from EEG signals is different for natural blinks and forced blinks and therefore can be used as a
differentiating metric. The proposed system also houses a joystick to provide a secondary control method along with
variable speed control using pulse width modulation technique. Regarding safety protocols, the system includes
obstacle and fall detection systems. In case of fall, the system also has the capability of sending SMS notifications to
notify authorized persons. The methodology is graphically represented below.
 Fig: Methodology of the proposed system

Proposed Prototype Design:

A. Simulation:

Prior to implementation of a real-life prototype, it is absolutely crucial to simulate the system beforehand. This
allows us to identify potential problems, uncover weaknesses, test and improve the system in a cost-effective manner
before a real model is made.

We chose Proteus 8.12 as the simulation environment to evaluate the performance of our design’s responsiveness to
simulated brain signals. For the simulated brain signal, we used the “NeuroskyBlinkControl” dataset [19]. It
contains the brain signal data of 5 individuals and includes information about blink time and count. To utilize this
data, we developed a program that reads from the dataset and emulates the process of sending the data over
Bluetooth into the simulation environment. The signal is later used as input to the microcontroller that controls all
operations.

Conclusion and Future Work:

The accomplishment we have reached after a year of research and work is significant. The main objective of our
study was to develop a low-cost method of aiding paralyzed people, particularly quadriplegic patients, and
improving the security and quality of their lives. This constructed spectacle is a one-of-a-kind tribute to the control
systems and a variety of features. New sorts of mechanisms are constructed with various extra characteristics that
might be a laureate contribution to our health sector in Bangladesh as datasets are gathered from regular people,
kaggle, and also Center for Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed (CRP) patients, the stakeholders for this project. When it
comes to independence of self-realized movement, quadriplegic patients represent a demographic that is not well
catered to. Our stakeholder, CRP, reaffirmed this as well. The goal of this research is to provide such patients with
the skills they need to achieve the aforementioned independence. We have integrated obstacle and fall detection
systems with IoT characteristics that can significantly improve the safety of the individuals. This success will
motivate us to continue working on the project and eventually turn it into a finished product. In addition to economic
factors, we can draw the conclusion that this initiative has a significant social and environmental impact on the
healthcare sector.

The never-ending nature of the study is its essence. In light of this, a number of adjustments may be made to each of
the project's subsystems in order to improve their usability and effectiveness. The next step is to continue working to
develop a single air blowing command model using the same process as opposed to using eye blinks. Additionally,
to create software for machine learning as the translation and classification of various brain electrical signal activity
into desired actions with predetermined assistive navigation may be considerably aided by neural network designs.