A core technology for brain-computer interfaces that will eventually enable the analysis of brain signals and the control of external devices has been developed by Professor Lee Seong-Whan, the head of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering in General Graduate School, and Suk Heung-Il, who is in the doctoral program in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Their research paper “A Novel Bayesian Framework for Discriminative Feature Extraction in Brain-Computer Interfaces” was published in the September issue of a leading journal in computer science, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (TPAMI).

According to Lee, the brain-computer interface can be understood as a pathway for communication between the brain and computers. Without using additional devices like a mouse or keyboard, the interface automatically recognizes the user’s intention by measuring brain signals and analyzing them with an artificial intelligence system. The user’s intention is then converted into a signal to the computer which then controls the computer. Lee says that this technology is being studied in order to help physically disabled people with healthy brain activities, such as those suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, allowing them to communicate with the outside world. This technology has a high potential as it can be utilized in diverse applications from electric wheelchairs to gaming and smart cars.

Lee says that there is still a long way to go before applying the braincomputer interface technology to real life. Yet, the study done by professor Lee and Suk is meaningful, in that Korea is now in an advantageous position in this area thanks to this technology. “To lead related markets in the future, we need to strengthen the technology by making it more stable and efficient. Above all things, it is significant to continue our studies with diverse approaches by combining different fields,” says Lee.

   

▲ Suk Heung-Il

Provided by Korea University Communication Department

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

▲ Professor Lee Seong-Whan

Provided by Korea University Communication Department

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