SSVEP-based brain-computer interface (BCI) system for a real-time application

Abstract

The goal of this project is to design and implement a brain-computer interface (BCI) system that provides direct communication between the user and a computer without requiring muscular activity. The proposed BCI operates in real time by translating electrical brain activity, recorded non-invasively through electroencephalography (EEG), into commands to control a software program. The BCI is driven by the neurophysiological phenomena known as steady state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs), which are electrical potentials evoked in the occipital region of the brain in response to repetitive visual stimulation. This response exhibits an oscillatory activity matching the frequency of the visual stimulation. ln a BCI application various visual stimuli flickering at specific frequencies, each associated with a command, are presented to the user who selects a command by focusing his/her attention on the corresponding stimulus. The BCI identifies the SSVEP response and translates it into a particular signal to control an application.