A hybrid brain-computer interface control strategy in a virtual environment

This paper presents a hybrid brain-computer interface (BCI) control strategy, the goal of which is to expand control functions of a conventional motor imagery or a P300 potential based BCI in a virtual environment. The hybrid control strategy utilizes P300 potential to control virtual devices and motor imagery related sensorimotor rhythms to navigate in the virtual world. The two electroencephalography (EEG) patterns serve as source signals for different control functions in their corresponding system states, and state switch is achieved in a sequential manner. In the current system, imagination of left/right hand movement was translated into turning left/right in the virtual apartment continuously, while P300 potentials were mapped to discrete virtual device control commands using a five-oddball paradigm. The combination of motor imagery and P300 patterns in one BCI system for virtual environment control was tested and the results were compared with those of a single motor imagery or P300-based BCI. Subjects obtained similar performances in the hybrid and single control tasks, which indicates the hybrid control strategy works well in the virtual environment.