News

2007.10.18

Brainwave with Image Offers Access to Second Life
Keio University Developed of Technology to Stroll Virtual World
by Using Brainwaves

Figure 1. A snapshot during experiments
The subject (right) is imaging foot movement. The BCI system analyzes brain activity (middle panel), and sends control signal to Second LifeR (left panel).

 

Assistant Prof. Junichi Ushiba of Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology succeeded to develop Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology that enable people stroll through the virtual world of Second LifeR (*1) using their own imagination. Previous studies have proved that people can move computer cursors through brain waves, but this project is the first to apply the technology to an Internet virtual world.
This Biomedical Research Project (*2) has been owned by following three faculties in Keio University, Japan: Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tsukigase Rehabilitation Center and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine. The technology would enable people suffering serious paralysis (*3) to communicate with others or conduct business in a virtual world. In the future, we plan to develop the technology to apply to the rehabilitation field by cooperating with the medical researchers.

1. About the Technology
A brain-computer interface, which allows people use their thoughts to control the movements of their Second LifeR avatars has been developed. A user controls his/her avatar by wearing a headset which is equipped with electrodes that monitor activity in a field of the brain that controls the movement of limbs (Figure 1, Table 1).
The system detects and processes brain activities which comes from the sensory-motor cortex, and automatically decodes users’ hand and foot imagery. When a user thinks about moving his own feet, the avatar walk forward. When a user thinks about moving his arms either right or left, that avatar turns that way (Figure 2).

2. Development in the Future
The technology that enables more complex movements and gesture in Second LifeR will be developed in the future. It is intended to test the technology on real helping patients in paralysis patients to see how the technology is capable of the virtual world by collaboration with the medical team. We examine how active brain activity through stroll in Second LifeR effects to the brain and the nerve, and investigate a possibility of application in the rehabilitation field.
The technology would enable people suffering from paralysis to communicate with others or conduct business in a virtual world.

3. Demonstration at the 8th Keio’s science and technology exhibition, KEIO TECHNO-MALL 2007
We plan to demonstrate of this experiment at KEIO TECHNO-MALL 2007 as follows:
Date:??? 5 December (wed) 2007, 10:00-17:00
Venue: ?Tokyo International Forum - B block 7th floor, Hall B
3-5-1 Marunouchi Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
Website: http://www.kll.keio.ac.jp/ktm/en/

 

*1: Second LifeR 3-D virtual community
Second LifeR is a 3-D virtual community, created and operated by U.S.-based Company Linden Lab, with a rapidly growing population from 100 countries around the globe. Residents of the Second LifeR metaverse themselves create and build the world that includes homes, vehicles, nightclubs, stores, landscapes, clothing, and games. Second LifeR has its own economy and a currency referred to as Linden Dollars (L$). Residents regularly create new goods and services, and buy and sell them in the Second LifeR virtual world.

*2: Biomedical Research Project
Collaboration research project of Brain Science by following researchers:

Assistant Prof. Junichi Ushiba: Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology
Associate Prof. Yoshihisa Masakado: Tsukigase Rehabilitation Center
Prof. Meigen Liu: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine

*3: Serious Paralysis
Patients suffering from paralysis such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal cord injury, or stroke.

 

Table 1 User’s thought and Avatar’s movement

User's motor imagery / Avatar's movement

Fictive walking / Going forward
Shaking right hand / Turning right
Shaking left hand / Turning left

 

Figure. 2. A schematic diagram of our BCI system.