This book focuses on the frontiers of neural interface technology, including hardware, software, neural decoding and encoding, control systems, and system integration. It also discusses applications for neuroprosthetics, neural diseases and neurorobotics, and the toolkits for basic neuroscience. A neural interface establishes a direct communication channel with the central or peripheral nervous system (CNS or PNS), and enables the nervous system to interact directly with the external devices. Recent advances in neuroscience and engineering are speeding up neural interface technology, paving the way for assisting, augmenting, repairing or restoring sensorimotor and other cognitive functions impaired due to neurological disease or trauma, and so improving the quality of life of those affected. Neural interfaces are now being explored in applications as diverse as rehabilitation, accessibility, gaming, education, recreation, robotics and human enhancement. Neural interfaces also represent a powerful tool to address fundamental questions in neuroscience. Recent decades have witnessed tremendous advances in the field, with a huge impact not only in the development of neuroprosthetics, but also in our basic understanding of brain function. Neural interface technology can be seen as a bridge across the traditional engineering and basic neuroscience. This book provides researchers, graduate and upper undergraduate students from a wide range of disciplines with a cutting-edge and comprehensive summary of neural interface engineering research.

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) sounds comparable to plugging a USB cable into a human brain with a laptop and accessing brain information. However, it is not as simple as it sounds. BCI is a multidisciplinary discipline with an exponential progress parallel to and with Artificial Intelligence for the past decades. Initially started with the Electroencephalography (EEG) analysis, BCI offers practical applications for cortical physiology today. Although BCI outcomes are more perceptible in medicine such as cognitive assessment, neurofeedback, and neuroprosthetic implants, it opens up amazing avenues for the business community through machine learning and robotics. Thought-to-text is one example of a hot topic in BCI. So, it is quite predictable to see BCI for individual usage given the current affordability of platforms for less technologically savvy users as well as BCI integrated within office automation productivity tools. The current trend is towards vulgarization for businesses benefits, by extension to the society at large. Thus, the interest in preparing a book on BCI. This book aims to compile and disseminate the latest research findings and best practices on how BCI is expanding the frontiers of knowledge in clinical practices, on the brain itself, and the underlying technologies.

This book provides a comprehensive reference to major neural interfacing technologies used to transmit signals between the physical world and the nervous system for repairing, restoring and even augmenting body functions. The authors discuss the classic approaches for neural interfacing, the major challenges encountered, and recent, emerging techniques to mitigate these challenges for better chronic performances. Readers will benefit from this book’s unprecedented scope and depth of coverage on the technology of neural interfaces, the most critical component in any type of neural prostheses. Provides comprehensive coverage of major neural interfacing technologies; Reviews and discusses both classic and latest, emerging topics; Includes classification of technologies to provide an easy grasp of research and trends in the field.

A brain-computer interface (BCI) establishes a direct output channel between the human brain and external devices. BCIs infer user intent via direct measures of brain activity and thus enable communication and control without movement. This book, authored by experts in the field, provides an accessible introduction to the neurophysiological and signal-processing background required for BCI, presents state-of-the-art non-invasive and invasive approaches, gives an overview of current hardware and software solutions, and reviews the most interesting as well as new, emerging BCI applications. The book is intended not only for students and young researchers, but also for newcomers and other readers from diverse backgrounds keen to learn about this vital scientific endeavour.

The success of a BCI system depends as much on the system itself as on the user’s ability to produce distinctive EEG activity. BCI systems can be divided into two groups according to the placement of the electrodes used to detect and measure neurons firing in the brain. These groups are: invasive systems, electrodes are inserted directly into the cortex are used for single cell or multi unit recording, and electrocorticography (EcoG), electrodes are placed on the surface of the cortex (or dura); noninvasive systems, they are placed on the scalp and use electroencephalography (EEG) or magnetoencephalography (MEG) to detect neuron activity. The book is basically divided into three parts. The first part of the book covers the basic concepts and overviews of Brain Computer Interface. The second part describes new theoretical developments of BCI systems. The third part covers views on real applications of BCI systems.

In the past 50 years there has been an explosion of interest in the development of technologies whose end goal is to connect the human brain and/or nervous system directly to computers. Once the subject of science fiction, the technologies necessary to accomplish this goal are rapidly becoming reality. In laboratories around the globe, research is being undertaken to restore function to the physically disabled, to replace areas of the brain damaged by disease or trauma and to augment human abilities. Building neural interfaces and neuro-prosthetics relies on a diverse array of disciplines such as neuroscience, engineering, medicine and microfabrication just to name a few. This book presents a short history of neural interfacing (N.I.) research and introduces the reader to some of the current efforts to develop neural prostheses. The book is intended as an introduction for the college freshman or others wishing to learn more about the field. A resource guide is included for students along with a list of laboratories conducting N.I. research and universities with N.I. related tracks of study. Table of Contents: Neural Interfaces Past and Present / Current Neuroprosthesis Research / Conclusion / Resources for Students