Implementation Research for Brain-Computer Interface to Access Commercial Software
Abstract:
Wearable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are a promising option to provide access to technology for those with severe disabilities without requiring physical movement. However, BCIs are not yet available as a commercial assistive technology. Dr. Huggins' University of Michigan Direct Brain Interface Laboratory focuses on making BCIs practical for people who need them. This involves identifying and solving usability issues that others have overlooked. Our BCI includes expanding capabilities to access commercial software and provides usability features designed for real-world, user-paced communication. Our in-home clinical trials and laboratory testing of BCI with real-world tasks have identified additional challenges that must be overcome to expand BCI availability and usability so that BCI can become a standard of care for those with the most profound physical disabilities.

Bio:
Dr. Huggins is trained in Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering with degrees from Carnegie Mellon and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She completed a clinical Rehabilitation Engineering Internship. She co-founded the University of Michigan Direct Brain Interface Laboratory and has led it since 2007. Her current focus is making EEG-based brain-computer interfaces practical for people who need them. Outside the lab, Dr. Huggins enjoys knitting, birdwatching, genealogy, cooking for her husband, and being Mom to her college-age children.

Dr. Huggins was a founding member of the board of directors of the Brain-Computer Interface Society. She has a patent on the BCI hold-release algorithm and BCI use for multiple choice tests. Dr. Huggins’ research has received grant funding from the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation, the Mildred E. Swanson Foundation, the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Prentke Romich Company, and funding from General Motors.