Artifact Group

Summary: We seek to detect, characterize, and eliminate common EEG artifacts while keeping signals from brain activity intact. To identify these artifacts in real time, we use a variety of features such as crossing an amplitude threshold and changes in frequency.

Results: For demonstration purposes we implemented a LabView program which enables a driver, who is wearing the EEG headset, to control the movement of a simple robot (National Instruments). The algorithm detects artifacts such as eye blinks and head movements in the EEG recording and converts this signal changes into a control command. The following video shows the described experiment: [1]

The EEG-Bot is an example of the future possibilities that research in the field of human EEG and especially brain computer interfaces enables. It can help handicapped people to reach a certain level of independence. For example imagine using this simple eye blink technique to control a wheelchair for paraplegic persons. The overall research goal is to move physical devices only by thinking.

Current and Future Work: At the moment we work on detecting all different kind of artifacts and use them to control the robot. In the future, we would like to be able to use the algorithm to detect all kind of artifacts in addition to brain signals associated with the movement of body parts. This will help the overall Brain Computer Interface group’s goal of moving physical devices by thinking.

Events: Demonstration for children and their families in the St. Louis Science Center on November 19th