Project
Neural decoding for brain-machine interfaces
Brain-computer interfaces provide a communication pathway between the human brain and an external machine, typically a computer. Two major approaches exist: invasive or intracranial and non-invasive brain-machine interfaces (BMIs). In the field of intracranial BMIs, attention has mainly been focused on recordings in the motor system.
The aim of this project is to decode neural activity recorded in different cortical areas e.g. the visual cortex, premotor cortex or speech-related cortical areas. Data from the visual cortex can be used to reconstruct the visual image that is being looked at. From decoded signals recorded in the premotor cortex, control signals for robotic actuators can be extracted. Finally, data recorded in speech-related areas can be used to decode words during (silent) reading of texts. It will be investigated which decoding techniques are best suited for each of these tasks.