A Modular, Adaptive, Deep-Learning-Based Brain-VR Interface

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) may open up new possibilities for Virtual Reality (VR) applications: BCIs may be used for active brain control of VR avatars, or to make VR content passively-adaptive based on information decoded from ongoing brain activity. Application domains for such Brain-VR Interfaces (BVRI) include medical and healthcare, entertainment, and education. Conversely, VR technology also opens up new possibilities for BCI research and development: E.g., gamified immersive BCI paradigms may improve subject engagement and long-term motivation, helping to study learning and adaptivity in the BCI-control context. Previously, we have demonstrated a first adaptive, deep-learning-based online BCI for the control of robotic assistants. Here, we describe the extension of this setup to a modular, extensible, VR-compatible online BCI setup. We describe how we integrated a classical active BCI control paradigm using motor imagery into a gamified interactive VR scenario, designed to enhance the long-term motivation of subjects. We also present an initial quality assessment of electroencephalographic (EEG) signals acquired with a dry-electrode system. We anticipate that the presented modular adaptive Brain-VR Interface will help to understand and facilitate (co-)adaptivity during long-term BCI usage.