Google Glass as a Neural Interface

Chris Newmarker

July 24, 2014

3 Min Read
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Google Glass may be just the interface that paralyzed people need to neuro-control medical devices--if research out of Kennesaw State University's BrainLab is any indication.

Glass users normally use touch, wink or voice commands to control the view screen projected on the glasses-like wearable device. But the researchers at the Georgia university, led by BrainLab director Adriane Randolph, now have a working prototype that allows a person to control Glass through brain signals picked up through an electroencephalography (EEG) cap, according to a paper Randolph recently posted on ResearchGate.

The device uses an evoked brain response--specifically the P300 wave the brain creates during "aha" moments--to select one of the four user interface commands for Glass: swipe left, swipe right, swipe down, or tap to select. The four characters flash randomly on the screen. When the user sees the character the on the screen, an "aha" thought is able to select the character within 300 milliseconds.

Designers of assistive technology devices for the paralyzed--or people with severe motor disabilities--might turn to such a setup to allow users to control the devices without the potentially strenuous slight muscle movements, eye blinks, etc. previously required.

"These folks are living locked into their bodies," Randolph, PhD, explained during a TEDxCentennialParkWomen talk late last year.

Google Glass was the best choice for an interface because it is lightweight and could be paired with an external mobile device, allowing caregivers to have easy access to support the user.

The BrainLab researchers are now working on streamlining the interface design, as well as moving to a wireless design that will allow greater mobility for users, according to their paper.

Neurogadget explains that there have been other brain-computer interface applications related to Google Glass, including This Place's MindRDR application for Facebook photo sharing. But the BrainLab creation appears to be different because it utilizes a specific evoked response in the brain.

There has been plenty of attention, and potentially hype, related to Google Glass' potential in the medical device space. Philips Healthcare officials, for example, think Glass could augment the information that its patient monitoring systems provide.

Google Glass isn't without its downsides, either. Now that a growing number of users are helping to beta test the technology as part of Google's Glass Explorer program, reports are beginning to emerge that the device can cause headaches when used for long periods. Google has added disclaimers warning that the devices were meant for "microinteractions," not "reading War and Peace."

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Chris Newmarker is senior editor of MPMN and Qmed. Follow him on Twitter at @newmarker.

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