Better Brain Interfacing for the Masses: Progress in Event-Related Potential Detection Using Commercial Brain Computer Interfaces

Event-Related Potential (ERP) techniques are commonly used by researchers from a range of disciplines including psychology and medicine to stimulate meaningful ERP signals from the brain and interpret them through Electroencephalography (EEG). ERP signals are in most cases able to reliably reflect cognitive processes, and are widely used in Brain Computer Interface (BCI) research. We present work in progress towards the application of these techniques to emerging consumer-grade BCI technology. Our approach has an impact on the reliability and usability of consumer Brain Computer Interfaces in commercial contexts, and is already being adopted by our industry partners in the games and entertainment sector. It could also significantly reduce the cost and complexity of certain types of large scale ERP research. This work is being undertaken by the Embodied AudioVisual Interaction (EAVI) group at Goldsmiths, University of London, and is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.