An Alternative Means of Control to Individuals with Limited Fine Motor Skills to Control Motorised beds using brain signals directly.
BrainApp is a novel project which implemented a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) system to control a motorised bed application using brain signals directly. This system can provide users who have limited fine motor skills, the ability to be more independent and an improved quality of life. An innovation which gives an alternative means of control to those who need aid with touch screens and other standard interfaces such as remote controls.
The innovation funded through the Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) Development Programme, with circa 200,000€, allowed a team of engineers at the University of Malta and a local software company 88 to develop the BrainApp platform.
During a public engagement event which was held at the Esplora Planetarium, at Esplora Interactive Science Centre, Kalkara, the Honourable Owen Bonnici, Minister for Equality, Research and Innovation said “Such consortia between the public and the private sectors are fundamental for the realization of research projects that can give rise to new, innovative solutions to everyday challenges that can be of benefit to society as a whole. Today, not only are we witnessing the realization of another excellent research project, but we are also witnessing the steady growth of local research, the hard work and commitment of our Maltese researchers and private industry to keep up their efforts in creating a strong ecosystem of innovation together.”
Through visual stimuli appearing on computerised devices, such as screens, the user can select from a set of bed-control functions. The system continuously records the user’s brain activity, processes them to determine which stimulus was required by the user, and activates the corresponding bed function. The team behind BrainApp addressed various practical issues in the field of Brain Computer Interface systems, used to control external devices. Specifically, the team eliminated the typical requirement of a preliminary training session to record subject specific data before using the BCI, and instead developed a framework to record this while the user is already using the system. This provides a more practical solution and a richer user experience.
The Chairman of the Malta Council for Science and Technology, Dr Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando said that: “This morning we had the chance to appreciate the exceptional accomplishments of this group of skilful innovators, engineers, technologists, and entrepreneurs who broke new ground in the field of brain-computer interfaces. We had the privilege to get a better understanding of the impact of the BrainAPP prototype, a system based on brain signals, which could become a new communication channel of the future.”
He added “I would like to applaud the beneficiaries of this project, the Department of Systems and Control Engineering, the Centre for Biomedical Cybernetics at the University of Malta, and the Maltese industrial partner 88, for their contribution to capacity building within the ICT sector.”
Tracey Camilleri, project coordinator of the BrainApp project, said: “The team working on this project have made it possible for an individual to control a motorised bed using brain signals directly, giving individuals with limited fine motor skills an alternative way of controlling devices around them. The work is an advancement in the field of biomedical engineering as it addressed practical issues in the development of brain-computer interface systems.”
Local and international stakeholders attended the event who followed technical presentations by the project researchers, engineers and manufacturer. A panel discussion moderated by an Esplora Science Communicator followed.
The event was livestreamed and may be followed via the below link:
Mezzi alternattivi ta’ kontroll lil individwi b’ħiliet fiżiċi limitati sabiex jikkontrollow soddod motorizzati bis-sinjali diretti tal-moħħ.
BrainApp proġett innovattiv li implimenta sistema ta’ Brain Control Interface (BCI) biex jikkontrolla sodda motorizzata permezz tas-sinjali diretti tal-moħħ. Din is-sistema tista’ tagħti possibbiltajiet aħjar lil dawk li jeħtieġu għajnuna minħabba li għandhom limitazzjonijiet fil-movimenti tal-idejn, il-kapaċità li jkunu indipendenti u jtejbu l-kwalità tal-għixien tagħhom. Din l-innovazzjoni se tagħti mezz ta’ kontroll alternattiv għal dawk li għandhom bżonn l-għajnuna biex jużaw touch screens, u interfaces standard oħra bħal remote controls.
Il-finanzjament miksub permezz tal-Fusion Technology Development Programme tal-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija (MCST) b’somma ta’ madwar 200,000€ ippermetta tim ta’ inġiniera fl-Università ta’ Malta u kumpanija lokali tas-software 88 tiżviluppa il-pjattaforma BrainApp.
Waqt avveniment tal-parteċipazzjoni tal-pubbliku li sar fl-EsploraPlanetarium, fiċ-Ċentru tax-Xjenza Interattiva tal-Esplora, fil-Kalkara, l-Onorevoli Owen Bonnici, Ministru għall-Ugwaljanza, ir-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni qal: “Konsorzji bħal dawn bejn is-setturi pubbliċi u privati huma fundamentali għat-twettiq ta’ proġetti ta’ riċerka li jistgħu jagħtu lok għal soluzzjonijiet ġodda u innovattivi għall-isfidi ta’ kuljum li jistgħu jkunu ta’ benefiċċju għas-soċjetà kollha kemm hi. Illum, mhux biss qed naraw il-kisba ta’ proġett ieħor ta’ riċerka eċċellenti, iżda qed naraw ukoll it-tkabbir kostanti tar-riċerka lokali, ix-xogħol u l-impenn tar-riċerkaturi Maltin u l-industrija tagħna biex ikomplu bl-isforzi tagħhom fil-ħolqien ta’ ekosistema b’saħħitha ta’ innovazzjoni flimkien.”
Permezz ta’ stimoli viżwali li jidhru fuq apparati kompjuterizzati, bħal screns, wieħed jista’ jagħżel minn sett ta’ funzjonijiet b’kontroll mis-sodda. Is-sistema kontinwament tirreġistra l-attività tal-moħħ ta’ min ikun qed jużaha, tipproċessaha biex tiddetermina liema stimolu kien meħtieġ minn dak li kien qed jużaha, u tattiva l-funzjoni korrispondenti tas-sodda. It-tim wara BrainApp indirizza diversi diffikultajiet prattiċi fil-qasam tas-sistemi tal-Brain Computer Interface, użati biex jikkontrollaw apparat esterni. Speċifikament, it-tim elimina il-bżonn tat-training preliminarju sabiex tiġi rrekordjata data speċifika qabel ma tintuża l-BCI. Minflokk żviluppaw qafas biex dan jiġi rrekordjat waqt li wieħed ikun qed juża s-sistema. Din toffri soluzzjoni aktar prattika u esperjenza aktar rikka għal min qed jużaha.
Iċ-Chairman Eżekuttiv tal-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija, Dr Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando qal: “Dalgħodu stajna naprezzaw il-kisbiet eċċezzjonali ta’ dan il-grupp ta’ innovaturi, inġiniera, teknoloġisti, u intraprendituri li laħqu quċċati ġodda fil-qasam tal- interfaces tal-kompjuters mal-moħħ. Kellna l-privileġġ li nifhmu aħjar l-impatt tal-prototip BrainAPP, sistema bbażata fuq sinjali gejjin mill-moħħ, li faċilment nistgħu nikkomunikaw biha fil-futur.”
Dr Pullicino Orlando, kellu kliem ta’ tifħir għall-benefiċjarji tal-proġett, id-Dipartiment tas-Sistemi u l-Inġinerija tal-Kontroll, Control Engineering, iċ-Ċentru għaċ-Ċibernetika Bijomedika fl-Università ta’ Malta, u l-imsiebaħ industrijali Malti 88, għall-kontribuzzjoni tagħhom u għat-tisħiħ fil-ħiliet fis-settur tal-ICT.”
Dr Tracey Camilleri, il-persuna li mexxiet il-proġett BrainApp, qalet: “It-tim li ħadem fuq il-proġett għamilha possibli għal persuna li jikkontrolla sodda motorizzata bl-użu tas-sinjali tal-moħħ dirett, soluzzjoni li tagħti individwi b’limitazzjonijiet fil-movimenti ta’ l-idejn, mod alternattiv ta’ kif jikkontrollaw apparat fl-ambjent li jgħixu fih. Dan ix -xogħol huwa avvanz fil-qasam ta’ l-iġinerija biomedika, għax-indirizza aspetti prattiċi fl-iżvilupp ta’ sistemi li joħolqu komunikazzjoni bejn il-moħħ u l-kompjuter.”
Il-partijiet interessati lokali u internazzjonali attendew l-avveniment, segwew preżentazzjonijiet tekniċi mir-riċerkaturi, l-inġiniera u l-manifattur tal-proġetti. Wara saret diskussjoni interattiva immoderata minn Komunikatur tax-Xjenza.
L-avveniment kien strimjat live u wieħed jista’ jsegwi permezz tal-ħolqa li jmiss:
This article was last updated on: October 15, 2021