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Daniel BD Rubin (Deactivated) , Yulia Sandamirskaya (Deactivated)

(Guest highlight speaker)

Christoph Guger, g. tech medical engineering GmbH, Schleidberg, Austria

Current and future applications of brain-computer interfaces

Brain-computer interfaces are extracting information in real-time from the human brain. The work with non-invasive or invasive sensors and can be used for many applications: brain assessment for patients with disorders of consciousness, rehabilitation of upper and lower limbs of stroke patients, communication interface for locked-in patients, treatment of Parkinson with deep brain stimulation and many more.

Margherita Ronchini (presenter), Hai Au Huynh, Milad Zamani, Hooman Farkhani, and Farshad Moradi, Electrical and Computer Engineering Dept., Aarhus University, Denmark

Towards an implantable Neuromorphic Computing System for online seizure detection
Neuromorphic computing systems (NCSs) could be employed as the core of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to process the biological signals in a neuro-inspired fashion and deliver a stimulation pattern aimed at rectifying any anomalous behavior. The underlying premise, and motive for this investigation, is that the neuromorphic device should be able to distinguish healthy from pathological activity. In particular, here, epilepsy is the model, and seizure detection is the objective. This presentation documents the journey towards the design of an embedded implantable NCS for online seizure detection from Local Field Potential signals. Initially, software simulations in NEST served an exploratory purpose, to determine the best network architecture and encoding algorithm. As an intermediate stage, the resulting network was implemented both in FPGA and DSP. Ultimately, the work led to the design of an integrated device in CMOS technology, comprising a novel encoder circuit.

Sliman Bensmaia, Somatosensory Research Lab, Chicago UTBD

Biomimetic artificial touch: Speaking the language of the brain to write-in information 

Our ability to manipulate objects dexterously relies critically on sensory signals from the hand. Accordingly, to restore motor function with bionic limbs requires that somatosensory feedback be provided to the tetraplegic patient or amputee. Given the complexity of upper limb behavior, we seek to minimize the need of the user to learn associations between events impinging upon the limb and arbitrary sensations. To this end, we develop approaches to intuitively convey sensory information by leveraging what we know about how this information is encoded in the somatosensory system of able bodied individuals. We shot that biomimetic sensory feedback leads to improved manual dexterity compared to its non-biomimetic counterpart. 

Mike Ambinder,Valve Corp.

Brain-Computer Interfaces: One Possible Future For How We Play
While a speculative technology at the present time, advances in Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) research are beginning to shed light on how players may interact with games in the future. While current interaction patterns are restricted to interpretations of mouse, keyboard, gamepad, and gestural controls, future generations of interfaces may include the ability to interpret neurological signals in ways that promise quicker and more sensitive actions, much wider arrays of possible inputs, real-time adaptation of game state to a player's internal state, and qualitatively different kinds of gameplay experiences. This talk covers both the near-term and long-term outlook of BCI research for the game industry but with an emphasis on how technologies stemming from this research can benefit developers in the present day

• How suitable are neuromorphic computing paradigms for the gaming applications described in the Mike Ambinder’s talk?

• Which analytical techniques stemming from neuromorphic computing research should gaming apps be paying close attention to?