Academic News
How could we take a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a confined soul, for a “video ride” by brain wave? A research team of AI-based brain-computer interfaces at NCU has broken through various limitations for recovering ALS patients’ autonomy and dignity. Furthermore, with the help of AI, the team has recently developed a next-gen tiny brainwave control device. In addition to medical treatment, the device can also be applied to future life and future education. With the brainwave control device, one can command a robot proxy for pandemic prevention and control. This innovation unfolds the future of “zero contact.” Chair Professor Shyu Kuo-Kai and Professor Lee Po-Lei at the Department of Electrical Engineering have created the seventh-generation brainwave control device after more than a decade of research and development. They broke all limitations to reduce its size, simplify its circuits, and lower its fabrication cost. The device is about the size of a pack of cigarettes, and its appearance strikes a balance between a technological style and an aesthetical one. It passed the tests of ISO10993 for biocompatibility and the tests of IEC60601 for general requirements for medical electrical equipment’s basic safety and essential performance. It is also a medical-grade device that can be applied to clinical treatment. The research team has initiated collaborations with each prominent medical institute to help patients with ASL, spinal cord injury, stroke, dementia, and melancholia. In response to the need for pandemic prevention and control, the applications of brainwaves are also helpful in future learning. Assistant Professor Lee Lung-Hao, an expert in natural language processing, indicated that a teacher would know well of students’ cognitive and emotional information and understand whether the students are concentrating and whether they understand the content being taught as they put on the next-gen brainwave control device. With the device, the teacher could further analyze students’ reasoning ability and thus adjust their teaching methods to attain a win-win situation that benefits both teachers and students.
