Comparing Two Commercial Brain Computer Interfaces for Serious Games and Virtual Environments

Abstract

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology is still under development, however the recent advances allowed to move BCI from research laboratories to people's living rooms. One of the promising areas of BCI applications is in computer games and virtual environments. In this chapter, initially an overview of the state of the art of BCI applications in computer games is presented. Next, a user study of two inexpensive commercially available devices used in different games is presented. The results indicate that multi-channel BCI systems are better suited for controlling an avatar in 3D environments in an active manner, while BCI systems with one channel is well suited for use with games utilising neuro-feedback. Finally, the findings demonstrate the importance of matching appropriate BCI devices with the appropriate game. A brain computer interface (BCI), also known as brain-machine interface (BMI) is a system that allows for direct communication between a human and a machine without using traditional channels of interaction, e.g. the muscles of the arm and hand and a keyboard, and instead relies on brain signals directly [30]. This makes BCI technology especially attractive for people with severe motor disabilities such as multiple sclerosis (MLS) or locked in syndrome [3]. In extreme cases such interface is the only way by which a person can communicate with the external world, which can greatly improve their quality of life. The idea of BCI was initially unattractive to science, the idea of deciphering human thoughts seemed weird and remote. BCI systems were limited to laboratory and clinical use; however the recent developments in machine learning technology and increase in computational power of personal computers made BCI accessible not only to researchers and clinicians, S. Fiałek (• F. Liarokapis