Brain-Computer Natural-Language Interface

1
Brain-Computer Natural-Language Interface

• What is it? An interface between the brain and a
  computer that enables natural language
  communication within the brain to be translated
  to external format a computer can understand.
  Ie, think it and a computer reads it
• Motivation help people with severe neuromuscular
  disability, the ultimate means of interaction
  with any technology without verbal speech or
  typing. It's mind reading!

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Related BCI Research

• Reading thoughts with EEG Abject Failure,
  Fujimaki 1990
• Duke
• Graz Brain-Computer Interface uses

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Modern Brain-Computer Interfaces
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Neuromuscular Techniques to Read Language from
the Brain

• The twist use neuromuscular readings of the
  -motor- regions associated with speech in lieu of
  reading the thoughts themselves
• Obtain this information in real-time through use
  of brain imaging
• Use a pseudo-language Graz-style if necessary
  project still has other twists which make it
  worthwhile
• Use a neuroelectric implant if sufficient
  resolution cannot be obtained with brain-imaging

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Language of Choice

• Since muscular motions of the lips will require
  extremely high resolution to distinguish, use a
  different means of communication
• Sign language has broad, distinct muscle activity
• Limit our language to a small set of words in a
  particular type of language (ALS, TLS, ULS)
• Identical neurolinguistic activity as verbal
  language
• Proof-of-concept for more refined study
• Or, perhaps it'd be useful in itself.

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Interpretation of Brain Activity

• With either brain imaging or direct neuronal
  activity, a calibration period will be needed to
  map neural motor activity to particular signs
• The Duke monkey project mapped for 12 and 24
  months per monkey. Using the robust algorithms
  they generated, we'll map for much less.
• Motor mapping software will have to be adapted
  from existing neuroanalysis libraries
• Sign language output can be translated directly
  using existing algorithms and software into words
  (Su et al.)
• The final output can be converted to audio or can
  be linked to control processes within a computer

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Follow-up Studies

• The most natural is to make a lipreader that
  translates muscle motion of the lips into
  thoughts
• Such a product would be directly implementable as
  a commercial or medical product.
• Other neurotechnology studies brain input
  devices
• As technology grows more refined, skip the motor
  cortex altogether and access the premotor cortex.