Name:Adam, Luoma

School/Affiliation:University of Calgary

Co-Authors:Eli Kinney-Lang, Adam Kirton

Virtual or In-person:In-person

Abstract:

Some children with full conscious perception of the world around them are unable to move or speak. They are “locked-in” and unable to participate in life. Brain computer interfaces (BCIs) offer new avenues for such individuals to connect with the world. BCIs allow people to use their brain activity to interact with the world while not needing to move or speak. Although BCIs have helped adults with tasks like movement or communication, children have been left out of the rapidly progressing BCI field. However, our BCI4kids program has shown that children can operate simple BCI systems to achieve things they never considered possible. BCIs for creative expression, like making music, are popular but far behind other BCIs. Music BCIs are too slow, complicated, and hard to use, especially for children. This project is engaging patients and families to create a new, simple BCI system that would enable locked-in children to make their own music from their thoughts. For our current design, the system will play two musical chords, and the child will focus on the one they want added to their song. The system will then detect which chord the child was focusing on based on their brain activity and add it to a song until a full song is created. This will provide locked-in children a new way to make music and express themselves creatively like never before. As children use this system, their BCI skills will also improve, facilitating other new possibilities for their future.