Development of ERP Based-Brain-Computer Interface using Audible Stimulation with Japanese letters

Abstract

This paper describes development of a brain-computer interface for severe ALS patients. The BCI has high potential to make useful communication aids for the severe ALS patients who don’t have any motor functions. However, these are few products in practical use for the ALS patients because most of the developments of the BCI system are based on technical seeds and interest. In this project, interview investigations were conducted with the ALS patients at the first stage of the development. According to the result of these investigations, a concept of the BCI system was built as P300 based interface using audible stimulation with Japanese letters. This system allow us to select a letter from Japanese 50 hiragana letters with three steps by choosing one letter from five letters. Experiments with able-bodied people and ALS patients showed possibilities that this system can be practical for communication with the severe ALS patients.