Combining BCI and Virtual Reality: Scouting Virtual Worlds

A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a closed-loop system with feedback as one important component. Dependent on the BCI application either to establish communication in patients with severe motor paralysis, to control neuroprosthesis, or to perform neurofeedback, information is visually fed back to the user about success or failure of the intended act. One way to realize feedback is the use of virtual reality (VR). In this chapter, an overview is given of BCI-based control of VR. In addition, four examples are reported in more detail about navigating in virtual environments with a cue-based (synchronous) and an uncued (asynchronous) BCI. Similar results in different virtual worlds with different types of motor imageries could be achieved, but no significant differences in the BCI classification accuracy were observed between VR and non-VR feedback. Nevertheless, the use of VR stimulated the subject's task performances and provided motivation.