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Development of a Wearable Motor-Imagery-Based Brain–Computer Interface

  • Systems-Level Quality Improvement
  • Published:
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Abstract

A motor-imagery-based brain–computer interface (BCI) is a translator that converts the motor intention of the brain into a control command to control external machines without muscles. Numerous motor-imagery-based BCIs have been successfully proposed in previous studies. However, several electroencephalogram (EEG) channels are typically required for providing sufficient information to maintain a specific accuracy and bit rate, and the bulk volume of these EEG machines is also inconvenient. A wearable motor imagery-based BCI system was proposed and implemented in this study. A wearable mechanical design with novel active comb-shaped dry electrodes was developed to measure EEG signals without conductive gels at hair sites, which is easy and convenient for users wearing the EEG machine. In addition, a wireless EEG acquisition module was also designed to measure EEG signals, which provides a user with more freedom of motion. The proposed wearable motor-imagery-based BCI system was validated using an electrical specifications test and a hand motor imagery experiment. Experimental results showed that the proposed wearable motor-imagery-based BCI system provides favorable signal quality for measuring EEG signals and detecting motor imagery.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partly supported by Ministry of Science and Technology in Taiwan, under grants MOST 103-2221-E-009-035-MY2, and MOST 104-2221-E-305-006. This research was also partly supported by Southern Taiwan Science Park Bureau, Tainan, Taiwan, under the grant CZ-12-12-22-103.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taipei University, Taipei, 237, Taiwan

    Bor-Shing Lin

  2. College of Information Science and Engineering, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou, 350118, China

    Jeng-Shyang Pan

  3. Shenzhen Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, 518000, China

    Jeng-Shyang Pan

  4. Institute of Imaging and Biomedical Photonics, National Chiao Tung University, Tainan, 711, Taiwan

    Tso-Yao Chu & Bor-Shyh Lin

  5. Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 710, Taiwan

    Bor-Shyh Lin

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  1. Bor-Shing Lin
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  2. Jeng-Shyang Pan
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  3. Tso-Yao Chu
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  4. Bor-Shyh Lin
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Correspondence to Bor-Shyh Lin.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Systems-Level Quality Improvement

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Lin, BS., Pan, JS., Chu, TY. et al. Development of a Wearable Motor-Imagery-Based Brain–Computer Interface. J Med Syst 40, 71 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-015-0429-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-015-0429-6

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