Friday, January 13, 2012

Inexpensive and Flexible Eye Gaze Tracking from Bed

Inexpensive and Flexible Eye Gaze Tracking from Bed
Presentation from the International MND Conference
Sydney, December 2011



presenter:  John Paulin Hansen, paulin@itu.dk

Javier San Augustin; Henrik Skovsgaard

Title:  In expensive and flexible gaze tracking from bed

E-Solutions to improve outcomes for people living with ALS/MND

Objective:  To present a gaze tracking system that does not occupy the physical space in front of the user.  The system applies a large display that can be seen by a group of people and it is composed of inexpensive hardware components (display, camera, IR lights and PC) that can be substituted immediately if they fail.

Dscription:  The system consists of the ITU open-source gaze tracking software that can be downloaded free-of-charge from https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.gazegroup.org   This system works with an inexpensive web camera and Windows computer that has a video projector connected to it.


If you could not make the 22nd International Symposium on ALS/MND’s live, the Allied Health Professional Forum’s  sessions, they are available online for your viewing.

Visit https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://mnda.eventstreaming.tv/ to watch these presentation that occurred on November 29 in Sydney, Australia..

To access the specific presentations on  video, you will need to enter your name, email address and the password “sydney,” all in lowercase letters. Click the “Login” button, then the specific thumbnail below the main video display screen.

This video, along with other activities that took place during the symposium, will be available until January 1, 2012; however organizers are hoping to keep this link active until January 31.  After that date, the video will be available on the MNDA Australia website at https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.mndaust.asn.au.

The ALS Association thanks both MND Australia and the MND Association U.K. for making these videos available.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

The Berlin Brain-Computer Interface Presents the Novel Mental Typewriter Hex-O-Spell

The Berlin Brain-Computer Interface Presents the Novel Mental Typewriter
   Hex-O-Spell

We present a novel typewriter application "Hex-O-Spell" that is specifically
tailored to the characteristics of direct brain-to-computer interaction. The
high bandwidth at which a user may perceive information from the display is
used in an appealing visualization based on hexagons. On the other hand the
control of the application is possible at low bandwidth using only two
control commands (mental states) and is relatively stable against delays and
the like. The effectiveness and robustness of the interface was demonstrated
at the CeBIT 2006 (world's largest IT fair) where two subjects operated the
mental typewriter at a speed of up to 7.6  char/min. It was developed within
the Berlin Brain- Computer Interface project in cooperation with specialists
for Human Computer Interaction.

Read the entire article at:
https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~jhw/BlaDorKraSchWilMurMue06.pdf

Link:
The Mind Reading Wizards
https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://pascallin.ecs.soton.ac.uk/wizards2.pdf

Computers implanted in brain could help paralyzed

Computers implanted in brain could help paralyzed
From: SFGate - 12/27/2011
By: Erin Allday

The University of California (UC), Berkeley and UC San Francisco launched the
Center for Neural Engineering and Prostheses a year ago to take advantage of
the neurology expertise in San Francisco and the engineering skills in the
Bay Area. The center develops technologies that enable the human brain to
control electronic devices. "Medicine has not taken neural prosthetics very
seriously until recently," says center co-director Edward Chang. The neural
prosthetic devices work by connecting a device inserted into the brain
directly to a computer. The electrical signals from the brain travel through
a cable to the computer, where they are decoded into instructions for some
kind of action, such as moving a cursor. The physical technology is one of
several hurdles the researchers must overcome before the devices are truly
useful. The researchers note that some of the problems are going to require a
greater understanding of how the human brain works. A major part of the
research is determining what devices would actually be useful to patients. "I
want to find out what are the things that are going to be most useful for
people, and it may be as simple as communication," Chang says.

Read the entire article at:
https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.sfgate.com:80/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/27/MNHU1MDLEU.DTL

Links:
Center for Neural Engineering and Prostheses
https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.cnep-uc.org/

Keck Center for Integrative Neuroscience
https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://keck.ucsf.edu/keck/

Philip N. Sabes
https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://vision.ucsf.edu/copedav/facsabes.html

Edward F. Chang
https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://neurosurgery.ucsf.edu/index.php/about_us_faculty_chang_edward.html

Jose M. Carmena
https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Faculty/Homepages/carmena.html

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

2012 IDEAS Conference Jan 18-19th--Free Registration!!

TARGET Center would like to wish all of our customers a Happy New Year and
highlight some new activities for 2012 for local customers, as well as those
across the country:

2012 IDEAS Conference

January 18 – 19, 2012: Free Registration is Open Now!

The Interagency Disability Educational Awareness Showcase (IDEAS) is the
Federal Government's annual event focused on accessibility, assistive
technology, and accommodation.  Sponsored by GSA, and hosted this year by
the Department of Agriculture, this year's conference features sessions by
some of the most prominent people in the Federal Disability Community.


Register now for this free training at http//:www.ideas.gov. Space is limited.


Join us on Wednesday, January 18th and Thursday, January 19th for two days
of exciting presentations. Experience what industry leaders in Section 508,
assistive technologies and  disability employment have to offer.  IDEAS will
also feature an exhibit hall with 25 commercial exhibitors as well as Federal
agency exhibitors. In addition, the USDA TARGET Center will host a
Technology Showcase during the conference to allow attendees the
opportunity to experience the latest assistive technology and ergonomic
equipment first-hand.

Keynote Speakers Include:

Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy
Dinah F. B. Cohen, Director, Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program
(CAP), DOD
David Capozzi, Executive Director, United States Access Board
Tim Creagan, Accessibility Specialist, United States Access Board
Alison S. Levy, Departmental Disability Employment Program Manager, U.S.
Department of Agriculture

Topics include:

Employment of Persons with Disabilities
Accommodations for Federal Employees
Accessibility and Section 508
Mobile Technologies for Persons with Disabilities


Reasonable accommodations should be requested during the registration
process.

If you require additional information regarding the event, please contact D'Ann
Clayton, Director of USDA TARGET Center Programs at
D'Ann.Clayton@dm.usda.gov.

---------------

Federal Disability Employment Across America Webinar Series: Realizing
Executive Order 13548 in Your Agency

Presented by the US Office of Personnel Management in partnership with CAP
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture TARGET Center

usda.gov/oo/target/eotraining

Monday, January 9, 2012

New Book for AT Professionals interested in BCI-"Brain-Computer Interfaces: Principles and Practice" Wolpaw & Wolpaw

Dear Colleagues,

I'm pleased to announce the publication of a comprehensive peer-reviewed BCI textbook, "Brain-Computer Interfaces: Principles and Practice," published by Oxford University Press.

The brochure below describes the book.
It is now available from Oxford at an introductory price of US$99.
(Amazon price is US$128.99.  List price is US$135.)
The book's ISBN# is 978-0-19-538885-5.

Here are the details in brief:

* comprehensive and authoritative treatment of the field

* 25 peer-reviewed chapters covering all aspects of BCI research and development, including: basic biological and physical principles underlying BCI technology;  BCI signal processing; BCI hardware and software; current BCI methods and applications; clinical, therapeutic, and commercialization approaches and issues; ethical considerations; key issues for the future.

* chapters written by many of the luminaries in the field

* written for easy accessibility for anyone with basic undergraduate science background

* can serve as text for a BCI course or reference for a BCI researcher.
-------------


“[This] is a remarkably well edited and organized book prepared by Jonathan and Elizabeth
Wolpaw. It is not simply a patchwork of 25 chapters…[but] rather, each chapter provides
an overview of its main topic, adds its message to the key issues discussed by others,
poses questions that still need to be addressed, and looks to the near future. The Wolpaws
establish the foundational issues in an introductory chapter and nicely finish with a summary
of those issues, as well as a sober examination of the future of BCI science and applications….
Brain-Computer Interfaces
is a very fine and readable resource to catch up on the
accomplishments, needs, and promise of this technology.”
--Bruce H. Dobkin, MD, Professor of Neurology, Director, Neurologic Rehabilitation and Research
Program, University of California Los Angeles, Geffen/UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA

“[The Editors] are in a unique position to oversee the authoritative and complete coverage of
the field, a journey they take us through with the collaboration of other experts. Indeed, this
is the first book, not only to present a unified perspective of the entire spectrum of topics
in brain-computer interfaces, but also to redefine the field. Moreover, this is a much-needed
textbook that I was waiting for. No doubt, it will become an indispensable source for every
practitioner --newcomers, students and researchers alike.”

--Dr. José del R. Millán, Defitech Professor, Defitech Chair in Non-Invasive Brain-Machine
Interface, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL),
Switzerland

Brain-Computer Interfaces: Principles and Practice
coverage provides an introduction to and summary of all aspects of BCI research and development: from brain anatomy to electrode technologies; from signal processing to clinical applications; from business dissemination models to ethical issues. The chapters are written by recognized experts in each of the fields relevant to BCI technology and they are coordinated into a logical whole with a didactic format and style accessible to all
is a comprehensive and authoritative presentation of the current state of brain-computer interface (BCI) research and development. This book is accessible to readers with basic undergraduate-level background in biology, physics, and mathematics, and is aimed at scientists, engineers, and clinicians at all levels from advanced undergraduates upward. Its uniquely comprehensive and balanced
readers.

The book can serve as the basis for graduate-level courses in BCI research and development, and as a resource for experienced BCI researchers or others interested in BCI research and its applications. The book’s goal is to provide a diverse range of readers with the broad knowledge needed to interact productively with others from the many disciplines involved in BCI research and development. By enabling people from many different disciplines to work together effectively, this book makes a unique and important contribution to a burgeoning new research field.
New from
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Principles and Practice
Edited by Jonathan R. Wolpaw and Elizabeth Winter Wolpaw
Brain-Computer Interfaces
2012
| 424 pages | 9780195388855 | $135.00/$99.00
New from
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

BCI Hardware and Software
J. Adam Wilson, Christoph Guger, and
Gerwin Schalk

BCI Operating Protocols
Steven G. Mason, Brendan Z. Allison, and
Jonathan R. Wolpaw

BCI Applications
Jane E. Huggins and Debra Zeitlin

PART IV: EXISTING BCIs

BCIs that Use P300 Event-Related
Potentials
Eric W. Sellers, Yael Arbel, and
Emanuel Donchin

BCIs that Use Sensorimotor Rhythms
Gert Pfurtscheller and Dennis J. McFarland

BCIs that Use Steady-State Visual
Evoked Potentials or Slow
Cortical Potentials
Brendan Z. Allison, Josef Faller, and
Christa Neuper

BCIs that Use Electrocorticographic
(ECoG) Activity
Gerwin Schalk

BCIs that Use Signals Recorded in
Motor Cortex
John P. Donoghue

BCIs that Use Signals Recorded in
Parietal or Premotor Cortex
Hansjörg Scherberger

BCIs that Use Brain Metabolic Signals
Ranganatha Sitaram, Sangkyung Lee,
and Niels Birbaumer

PART V: USING BCIs
BCI Users and Their Needs
Leigh R. Hochberg and Kim D. Anderson

Clinical Evaluation of BCIs
Theresa M. Vaughan, Eric W. Sellers, and
Jonathan R. Wolpaw

Dissemination: Getting BCIs to the
People Who Need Them
Frances J.R. Richmond and
Gerald E. Loeb
BCI Therapeutic Applications for
Janis J. Daly and Ranganatha Sitaram

BCI Applications for the
General Population
Benjamin Blankertz, Michael
Tangermann, and Klaus-Robert Muller

Ethical Issues in BCI Research
Mary-Jane Schneider, Joseph J. Fins, and
Jonathan R. Wolpaw

PART VI: CONCLUSION

The Future of BCIs: Meeting the
Expectations
Jonathan R. Wolpaw and
Elizabeth Winter Wolpaw
Index

PART I: INTRODUCTION

Brain-Computer Interfaces: Something
New under the Sun
Jonathan R. Wolpaw and
Elizabeth Winter Wolpaw

PART II: BRAIN SIGNALS
FOR BCIs

Neuronal Activity in Motor Cortex and
Related Areas
Lee E. Miller and Nicholas Hatsopoulos

Electric and Magnetic Fields
Produced by the Brain
Paul L. Nunez

Signals Reflecting Brain
Metabolic Activity
Nick F. Ramsey

PART III: BCI DESIGN,
IMPLEMENTATION, AND
OPERATION

Acquiring Brain Signals from Within
the Brain
Kevin Otto, Kip A. Ludwig, and
Daryl R. Kipke

Acquiring Brain Signals from Outside
the Brain
Ramesh Srinivasan

BCI Signal Processing:
Feature Extraction
Dean J. Krusienski, Dennis J. McFarland,
and José C. Princípe

BCI Signal Processing:
Feature Translation
Dennis J. McFarland and
Dean J. Krusienski

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Library Recommendation Form
Forward this form to your librarian or library acquisitions committee.
Dear Librarian/Library Acquisitions Committee:
I am a contributor to a major, multi-authored new publication
recommend that the library purchase it for its collection.
Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) and I
Principles and Practice
Edited by Jonathan R. Wolpaw and
Elizabeth Winter Wolpaw
Brain-Computer
Interfaces
2012 | 424 pages | 9780195388855 | $135.00/$99.00
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Brain-Computer Interfaces will greatly enhance our existing collection for
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Improving Brain Function
 

Braindeck-non invasive EEG & BCI that could provide new control channel for ppl w/ ALS

BrainDeck

People who have severe movement disorders like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
(ALS) or Locked in Syndrome, is a condition where a patient is awake and
aware of its surrounding but unable to communicate or perform any action due
to paralysis of almost every voluntary muscles in the body (with the
exception of eye movements and blinking). Imagine patients having a fully
functional brain trapped within a non-functioning body. The brain of the
patient would be fully conscious and aware of its surroundings, it could
think and process stimuli, but unable to translate thought into action. This
is caused by a gradual degeneration of the nerve cells in the central nervous
system that controls voluntary muscle movement.

Therefore the author suggest a non invasive Electroencephalogram (EEG) based
Brain Computer Interface (BCI) that could provide a new control channel to
individuals with severe motor impairments, an application that would enable
individuals to communicate with the outside world. The non-invasive method of
BCI suggested by the author is considered a safe procedure as it requires no
brain surgery and causes no harm to the patient under any circumstance.

Here, we see a subject trying to send an email through brain activity using a
T9 suggestive text approach (reduce stress). This is a low cost solution as
it makes use of a commercial EEG acquisition, Thus the time taken to send an
email is less compared with making use of the P300 approach.

Send an Email through Brain Activity
https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fZER3ykaJs

Send a Tweet through Brain Activity
https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwN5UN9DPGc

Shamil Jaey
https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.youtube.com/user/shamilJaey

BrainDeck
https://mail.alsa-national.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://sites.google.com/site/shamiljaey/home