Implementation of a Brain Computer Interface System to Allow TV Remote Control for People with Physical Disabilities

Abstract

This paper presents a remote control implementation that allows the control of TV main functions by people with some motor disability in their upper extremities because they aren’t able to take the TV control with their hands, thus collaborating with inclusion and digital accessibility. To get this purpose, a Brain Computer Interface BCI helmet was used, its allows the brain-machine interaction using non-invasive electroencephalography signals without causing health problems. An appropriate methodology was designed by cognitive signals with head movements and expressive signals with some face expressions focused on changing channels, volume up or down, turn on/off the TV. To achieve the integration between the BCI helmet and TV, a graphical interface was made on Processing Development Environment, it can recognize the signals generated by the helmet and, with an Arduino controller emits signals with the functions for any TV remote control. For the evaluation tests, we had a group of different ages people to know gestures or movements complexity and usability satisfaction, the results that we’ve obtain permit us to propose like future works to get a better operation to use more TV remote control functions, for example, to access the menu or participate in interactive TV applications.