Using Your Brain for Human-Computer Interaction

To further increase the bandwidth from humans to comput-ers, I am investigating methods for sensing signals that users naturally give off while using a computer system. I plan to use this data to augment the explicit input that the user provides through standard input devices. Using a rela-tively new brain imaging tool called functional near-infrared spectroscopy, along with a more established brain sensing tool called electroencephalography (EEG), we can detect signals within the brain that indicate various cogni-tive states. These devices provide data on brain activity while remaining portable and non-invasive. If used with care, this additional information can lead to interfaces that adapt appropriately to changes in the user's cognitive state. The focus of my research is to investigate the impact that these input modalities can have on HCI research. ACM Classification: H5.2 [Information interfaces an