| Disabled or paralyzed individuals are often not able to use the keyboard and mouse as input devices. A Brain Computer Interface (BCI), a device that converts the electroencephalographic (EEG) signals to computer input, can provide a way for those people to interact with the computer. Motor imagery based BCI uses distinct EEG signals produced during the imagination of arm movements to provide input commands to a computer. But this method lacks consistency and requires lengthy training. Our research is focused on exploring the feasibility of an audio-stimulus based BCI by using the dichotic listening phenomena. A dichotic listening situation occurs when two dierent auditory stimuli are presented simultaneously to a person, and he/she is able to selectively focus his/her attention on either one of the stimuli. We present a study that compared motor imagery with the new dichotic listening BCI to perform a navigation task in a virtual reality environment. Our results have shown that a dichotic listening BCI is feasible. Its implementation can be benecial to people who cannot use other types of BCIs because of various medical conditions. |
