Applications of  Small Brainwave Machines
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Thomas F. Collura, Ph.D., P.E.
October 17, 1996

Introduction

The low-cost,  portable EEG machine has a short history. 1 and 2-channel units for under $1300  have only been available since the late 1990's. As such, applications are in an embryonic stage. Nonetheless, a wide range of applications have been identified, and are being actively pursued. These include:

1) EEG Biofeedback

• Personal/self-improvement/meditation
• Therapist-guided relaxation, etc.
• Peak-performance training, "Brain calisthenics"
• Adjunct to EMG,  GRS, etc.
• Treatment of ADD & other clinical disorders

2) Computer  Control & Communication

• "Thought-controlled" cursor, switch
• Brainwave-controlled games

3) Entertainment, Virtual Reality

• Control of music,  graphics
• Control of VR  Displays
• Interface to Light/Sound machines

4) Education, Research

• Labs, experiments, demonstrations
• Monitoring classroom/audience attention

5) Military, Commercial

• Screening &  evaluating pilots, operators
• EEG-based Cockpit  controls, pilot monitoring
• Assessing consumer reactions

Each of these  application areas has its own requirements, history, and prospects for low-cost

EEG Biofeedback

EEG was first explored as a biofeedback modality by Kamiya, Brown, and others, beginning in the 1960's. Initial work led to a generalized relaxation model, based primarily on the alpha rhythm. Training was often done solely for the strengthening of the alpha rhythm, without regard for other variables, or other brain rhythms. It was found that developing the alpha rhythm, in and of itself, had limited value. Continued work has developed  methods that use other rhythms, or combinations of rhythms, in both encouragement and discouragement protocols, to teach users to control the  relative amounts of rhythms, providing much more precise control of the brain.

Computer Control & Communication

The use of the EEG to control or communicate with a computer is an application that has undergone  slow but steady development since the 1960's. Early work by Pinneo and others attempted to record "latent motor potentials" caused by a person thinking a  work, such as "up" or "down." More recently, investigators have been looking for signals that appear controllable, and adapting the system to them. One of these  is the "sensorimotor rhythm" (SMR), that has been found to be under a certain amount of conscious control. Generally, the user uses "affective" thoughts, such as "feeling light" or "stopping thinking" to cause the desired rhythm.

Entertainment, Virtual Reality

Entertainment application  include EEG-controlled composition and performance, including "audience-participation" situations.

Virtual Reality displays can use EEG to modulate, alter, or otherwise control any aspect of the virtual world. For example, a system could be made sensitive to the individual's overall  cognitive and emotional state, to produce an appropriate world. This could include changing the colors or sizes of objects, controlling sunrise and sunset,  or causing the appearance or removal of features, or even of the entire location.

Education, Research

EEG is not well known below  the level of the graduate student. Very few colleges, and no known high schools,  offer any opportunity for students to record, study, and understand the EEG. This is unfortunate, because it is becoming increasingly clear that a basic  understanding of the EEG and its properties, especially with personal experience of recording (ideally one's own) EEG, can provide valuable insight into the brain, as well as the mind. For example, individual differences can be seen in EEG patterns between people, and EEG changes in various tasks or circumstances  can also be revealing. It would be desirable for a greater number of students,  at and below the undergraduate level, to have direct experience with, and  understanding of, the EEG.

There is a certain amount of popular use of  phrases like "left brain," "right brain," "being in synch," "alpha waves," and other related concepts. We like to understand how the brain operates, but often  use concepts that we must for the most part, take for granted, because there is no practical way to check any of these ideas out. With the availability of low-cost, scientifically sound brainwave monitors, it becomes possible to  effectively record and see anyone's brain rhythms, their left and right-brain activity, balance, synchrony, and other variables.

Military,  Commercial

The military has a long history of studying the EEG; some  of the earliest telemetric monitoring and analysis was developed by NASA during the 1960's, in connection with the space program. This was designed primarily to  monitor the pilots' state of health and consciousness. In addition, the Air  Force has had a long-standing program to develop EEG-based pilot controls for  the cockpit. These include evoked-potential based system, which attempt to rapidly detect and act upon changes in the pilot's gaze, or level of attention,  to a display item.

Another ongoing area is alertness monitoring for commercial and military transportation systems. Initial work used the ongoing EEG, and more recent work uses event-related potential, and neural networks to  interpret the waveforms.

Purely commercial applications include studying  subjects who are viewing advertising material or evaluating products, primarily to assess their level of interest and/or arousal.