Computational Intelligence for Brain Computer Interface

Chin-Teng Lin, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan
Abstract: Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) enhances the capability of a human brain in communicating and interacting with the environment directly. BCI plays an important role in natural cognition, which concerns the studies of brain and behavior at work for enhancing or restoring cognitive functions. Many people may benefit from BCI, which facilitates continuous monitoring of fluctuations in cognitive states under monotonous conditions in workplace or at home. People who suffer from episodic or progressive cognitive impairments in daily life can also benefit from BCI. In this talk, I will first introduce the current status of BCI and its major obstacles: lack of wearable EEG devices, various forms of noise contamination, user/circadian variability, and lack of suitable adaptive cognitive modeling. I will then introduce some methodologies to overcome these obstacles, including discovering the fundamental physiological changes of human cognitive functions at work and then utilizing these main bio-findings and computational intelligence (CI) techniques to monitor, maintain, or track human cognitive states and operating performance. In the second part of my presentation, I will introduce an innovative BCI-inspired research domain called Cyber-Brain- Physical Systems. Some future research directions in this domain will be explored and discussed, including BCI-embedded wearable computing, BCI-based neuro-prosthesis and assistive devices, wearable cognitive robots, and BCI-empowered training. The potential real- life applications of BCI on various aspects of training/education, healthcare, rehabilitation, and medical treatment will also be introduced and discussed.