Development of computer based communication systems for the users with limited mobility
Project no. 21568 · Status: Kapanmış · 2020
Summary
It is aimed to develop an EEG-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) that will support the communication of the patients with their environment, who have lost their mobility largely or completely due to various conditions, such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In order to develop a Brain-Computer Interface to be used in integration with the EEG device, four different communication systems were designed at first. These systems, which we named as Morse Code Based Communication System, Linear Keyboard Communication System, Mouse Wheel (Scroll Wheel Communication System) and Grid (Grid) Keyboard Communication System, have been tested on volunteers with random words. The writing duration of the 9 words used in these experiments were recorded and a comparison was made by evaluating the averages of these times, the feedback from the users and the observations made during the trials, and it was decided to integrate the Grid Keyboard Communication System and the EEG device. The EEG device detects the blink artifact and transfers it to the computer by performing operations, such as amplification, filtering and transformation. With the help of Python 2.7 and Processing 3 software, the signals received from the brain acts as a button and allows this user to use the communication system. With the system that we developed, a high-tech and high-value product has been created that will enable people who have difficulties in maintaining their lives to communicate with their environment and thus meet their various needs.