Bringing together the worlds of assistive technology and consumer electronics is becoming increasingly necessary with ever-developing digital technology and communication abilities, for those with limited mobility or speech to benefit from such groundbreaking advances. IDTechEx‘s report, “Brain Computer Interfaces 2025-2045: Technologies, Players, Forecasts“, explores the ways assistive and consumer technologies overlap, and goes into detail about invasive and non-invasive types of brain computer interfaces (BCIs).
Electroencephalography (EEG), near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), magnetic sensing/ magnetoencephalography are all examples of non-invasive BCIs, while ECoG or intercranial EEG are invasive types.
Non-invasive BCIs
EEG methods focus on cortical neuron activity near the scalp, working through headset devices or in-ear devices, while functional NIRS is used in the form of a cap to measure changes in blood flow that happen in response to wavelength absorbance by hemoglobin. Combining functional NIRS with EEG to utilize their individual benefits has also been a popular research approach in recent years, according to IDTechEx. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) works in a non-contact manner to measure the magnetic fields created by neurons’ electrical activity traditionally using a large scanning device, though MEG helmets are now on the rise to provide a more comfortable and functional means of acquiring data.
Invasive BCIs
ECoG or intercranial EEG works with sensors which are flat against the brain’s surface, gathering information from large groups of neurons. Neural probes or microneedles are another invasive type of BCI that work in a more localized way, inserted into a region of the brain to obtain information from a small group of neurons or individual neurons.
While these invasive approaches are generally considered more favorable for temporal resolution and motion robustness, they require surgical procedures, which may deter people from opting for this approach.
Commercialization and innovation
Commercial applications of BCIs can be categorized into assistive and consumer types, although the markets are seen to overlap greatly, such as in laptops and personal devices like smartphones and gaming consoles, for optimal utilization and interfacing abilities. Assistive uses currently include prosthetics and wheelchair control, as well as exoskeleton control for increased range of movement. Speech decoding is another assistive use for BCIs that is not widely commercialized.
While current human-machine interfacing includes eye tracking, head movement, and voice control and allows for the translation of gestures into direction and movement and communication purposes, there is scope for more intricate technologies within this field to better combine commercial and assistive applications. The ever-improving possibilities for greater precision and versatility, faster and less demanding interactions, and increased quality of life are reasons for BCI technologies to grow.
For people with spinal cord injury, improved assistive technology is necessary for increased interaction, seamless movement, and the use of less bulky devices, and also for the possibility of better connection with people, computers, and wider society.
Funding and forecasts
BCIs have recently become an area of interest due to investments in invasive technology developments, with high-profile companies such as Neuralink and Blackrock paving the way for innovation. Since 2016, funding has taken off within the sector, helping many other companies to further developments that could soon be commercialized. Alongside well-known, established players, there are more niche, scale-up companies working on much more specific applications and methodologies. Despite such investments, however, the high costs of BCI technologies, excluding EEG methods, mean they are not yet widely accessible.
Source: idtechex.com