Singapore research team first place in Brain-Computer Interfa...( The Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) r...)

The Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) research team at Singapore's Infocomm Research (I2R) has won first place in the worldwide BCI Competition IV, 2008, in all three electroencephalogram (EEG) based non-invasive BCI categories.

The results were announced on Dec. 12 at the international Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS) conference in Vancouver, Canada.

The Singapore scientists designed the non-invasive BCI technology to provide a direct communication channel between the human brain and the computer, so that physically handicapped individuals, such as "locked-in" patients who have lost effective communication and interactive abilities, would be able to communicate and interact with their environment through thoughts, rather than relying on normal, neuromuscular pathways.

The scientists at I2R, which is one of the research institutes under Singapore's A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) and which is headquartered at the Asian city-state's new R&D epicenter, Fusionopolis, have developed new algorithms and novel techniques that have dramatically improved the efficiency, accuracy and convenience of non-invasive BCI systems.

In Singapore, research work and clinical tests are currently being carried out on a variety of BCI applications such as a communication platform for paralyzed patients, rehabilitation for stroke patients and the treatment for children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

For more information about Singapore's BCI technology: http://www.i2r.a-star.edu.sg/enews/technology/bci.htm

During the competition, the Singapore scientists demonstrated clear strengths in EEG-based non-invasive BCI technology among a total of 35 submissions by scientists from the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

The BCI Competition IV, funded by the European Network of Excellence PASCAL2, was organi
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