Department of Mathematics

Indian Institute of Science

Bangalore 560 012

 

SEMINAR

 

Speaker

:

 Prof. Rajesh P. N. Rao
Affiliation : Department of Computer Science and Engineering & Neurobiology Program, University of Washington Seattle, USA.

Subject Area

:

Mathematics

 

Venue

:

Lecture Hall I, Department of Mathematic

 

Time

:

4.00-5.00 p.m.

 

Date  

:

August26, 2011 (Friday)

Title

:

"Controlling Objects by Thought: Invasive and Non-Invasive Approaches to Brain-Computer Interfacing"
Abstract

:

The idea of controlling objects by thought alone has long been a staple of science fiction novels and movies. However, the advent of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) is rapidly making this idea a reality, with researchers demonstrating the control of cursors, prosthetic arms, wheelchairs, and robotic avatars all through brain signals. BCIs have now enabled communication in locked-in patients, helped restore movement in paralyzed and disabled individuals, and are increasingly being used in novel applications such as security, lie detection, alertness monitoring, entertainment, gaming, education, and human augmentation. In this talk, I will provide a brief overview of the field and describe two approaches to brain-computer interfacing being explored in my laboratory: an invasive technique known as electrocorticography (ECoG) for recording from the brain surface and a non-invasive technique known as electroencephelography (EEG) for recording from the scalp. I will describe how devices such as a computer cursor, a prosthetic hand, and a humanoid robot can be controlled through motor imagery and stimulus-evoked potentials decoded from ECoG and EEG signals. I will conclude by bringing up some of the moral and ethical issues we will have to confront as a society when BCIs become more powerful and enter the marketplace as a disruptive technology.