Verification of symbol identification in wearable EEG telemetry system (Air Brain)

Abstract

We has developed Air Brain system, wearable telemetry system for electroencephalogram. Features of Air Brain system is that it enables us to get electroencephalogram and to measure human behavior easily, at anywhere and in anytime. In this study, we attempted to utilize the system for BCI, detecting event-related potentials (ERPs) evoked by silent reading of the visual symbols (either upward arrow or downward arrow) presented on the monitor of a smartphone with experimental participants. We confirmed that there are relationships between the meanings of applied visual symbols and amplitude/polarity of ERPs at near the right frontal lobe of participants. Remarkable changes of the averaged EEG after visual stimulus were observed at around 400ms to 700ms from the start of the symbol-presentation. When upward arrow was presented to the participants, the positive peak of ERP expressed in 400ms to 700ms after visual stimulus. However, when downward arrow was presented to participants, the negative peak of ERP expressed in the similar timing. The rate of correct answer for silent reading of the direction of the presented symbols reached to 90%. These results are consistent to the previous reports, and it suggested that the Air Brain system, wearable telemetry system for EEG, was potentially applicable to BCI.