An ideal way of interacting with computers is through a Brain-Computer Interface. There are several examples of use cases associated with BCI. A perfect scenario of BCI usability would be similar to what we can experience in Cyberpunk 2077.
In the Cyberpunk world, usage of chip implants similar to Neuralink is common, and the release of this game has created debates among the community about the future of BCI technology.
My experience with Neurosky and Emotive EEG headsets proves Maciej’s point, but we should consider that for a brand like Apple, it would not be reasonable to use an immature tool that cannot guarantee 100% accuracy. When a user clicks on screen, they expect 100% accuracy, but this is not true when using EEG signals to detect user input. Also, it is not easy for startups to work on BCI based environments because it takes a lot of time and investment to polish BCI for mass adoption.This is why most BCI projects switch to Attention Management Tools after a while.
Although the technology is still in its infancy, it is unlikely to replace the current standard peripherals such as joysticks and keyboards in the near future, several companies are investing in research about BCI, especially for interaction with computer-mediated realities.
Orlosky, et al(2021), have illustrated the state-of-the-art in Brain-Computer Interface and if you look at AR/VR Devices and compare them with EEG Caps, you can see that the use of VR headsets prevents product designers from incorporating more EEG sensors to track more brain areas. In addition, adding more EEG sensors may cause ergonomic problems. Therefore, AR Glasses such as Spectacles by Snap Inc are more appropriate for use with EEG sensors, especially when considering the effects of headset noise on signal processing.
Recently, Snap bought a brain-computer interface startup for future AR glasses (Source). NextMind is a Paris-based startup that was one of the stars of CES 2020. NextMinds provided a Unity-based SDK and allowed developers to create their mind-enabled applications. For example, instead of using your phone to enter a pin code while using a head-mounted display, the NextMind will enable you to type the pin code by thinking.
Before Snap, Valve is working with the OpenSourceBCI project. Facebook has purchased CTRL-Labs, a startup developing an armband that utilizes the electrical activities in muscles and as a method for controlling computers.
Metaverse Companies understand that although the development of BCI technology is challenging, the natural interaction with Computer-mediated realities is essential for the creation of the promised Metaverse, the study of Brain-Computer Interfaces deserves to receive more attention by the Human-Computer Interaction community. For example, we need more works similar to ” Older Adults and Brain-Computer Interface: An Exploratory Study” . This works would be useful when designing paradigms of interaction for BCI.
Thumbnail Photo Credit: Cyberpunk 2077, Judy Character, CD Projekt
