A Videogame Driven by the Mind: Are Motor Acts Necessary to Play?

In this manuscript, the architecture of a PC based videogame driven by just electroencephalographic (EEG) brain signals is described. It bypasses the natural pathways of nerves and muscles, thus theoretically allowing also people affected by severe motor disorders to play with it. It is built on top of a framework designed for implementing neuro-feedback and Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) systems: spontaneous self-induced modifications of the EEG signals are detected and converted into an analog-like value, which is then used to control the speed of a puppet that competes in a virtual race against others whose speed is controlled by the PC. Preliminary results from five healthy volunteers and comparing three different regression rules show that is possible, after a short calibration phase, to take the control of the puppet by performing simple and repetitive motor imagery mental tasks. Actually, it is under testing in clinical contexts, to rehabilitate children affected by ADHD syndrome and autism but it can be also used as an inclusive game, to allow motor disabled people to play with the same rules with their acquaintances, relatives, and friends.