Affective Brain-Computer Interfaces (aBCI 2011)

Recently, many groups (see Zander and Kothe. Towards passive brain–computer interfaces: applying brain–computer interface technology to human–machine systems in general. J. Neural Eng., 8, 2011) have worked toward expanding brain-computer interface (BCI) systems to include not only active control, but also passive mental state monitoring to enhance human computer interaction (HCI). Many studies have shown that brain imaging technologies can reveal information about the affective and cognitive state of a subject, and that the interaction between humans and machines can be aided by the recognition of those user states. New developments including practical sensors, new machine learning software, and improved interaction with the HCI community are leading us to systems that seamlessly integrate passively recorded information to improve interactions with the outside world. To achieve robust passive BCIs, efforts from applied and basic sciences have to be combined. On the one hand, applied fields such as affective computing aim to develop applications that adapt to changes in the user states and thereby enrich interaction, leading to a more natural and effective usability. On the other hand, basic research in neuroscience advances our understanding of the neural processes associated with emotions. Similar advancements are made for more cognitive mental states such as attention, workload, or fatigue.