An EEG based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) measures and analyzes the electrical brain activity (electroencephalogram, EEG) in order to convert the EEG into control commands. These commands are used to control external devices like wheelchairs or robots, spelling applications or smart environment like smart homes. BCIs are based - depending on the type of application - on slow cortical potentials, EEG oscillations in the alpha
and beta band, the P300 response or steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP). For example, BCI systems based on slow cortical potentials or oscillatory EEG components with 1-5 degrees of freedom were realized up to now. However, high information transfer rates were reached based on 2 degrees of freedom as otherwise the accuracy of the BCI systems dropped down. SSVEP based systems allow selecting up to 48 different targets and are limited by the number of distinct frequency responses that can be analyzed in the EEG. With P300 response based BCIs users can select commands from a rather large command set reliably. Recent advances in usability and reliability of BCI systems made it possible to demonstrate its usefulness for persons with disabilities without significant training effort. In this session different approaches based on demonstrators shall be
introduced and vividly discussed.

Workshop Presenters (presentation order under discussion).

1) Tomohiko Igasaki, Nobuki Murayama [Kumamoto University, Japan]

    "An examination of a synchronous-type BCI using the fast Fourier transform for single-channel EEGs."
 
2) Shin'ichiro Kanoh [Tohoku University, Japan]

    "A brain-computer interface based on Auditory Stream segregation."
 
3) Kenji Kansaku [National Rehab Center,  Japan]

    "P300 Brain-Computer interfaces for environmental control."
 
4) Guenter Edlinger [g.tec medical engineering GmbH, Austria]

    "Brain-Computer Interfaces for control of virtual environments and smart homes."

5) Hideaki Touyama [Toyama Prefectural University, Japan] (presented by G. Edlinger)

     "Brain-Computer Interfaces with Virtual Reality Technology"

6) Sercan Taha Ahi, Yasuharu Koike [Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan]

    "Dimension reduction techniques for the P300 response"

7) Arne Ewald, Guido Nolte [Fraunhofer Institute FIRST IDA,Germany]