The Brain Research Center at National Chiao Tung University in the northern city of Hsinchu unveiled its proprietary portable wireless electroencephalogram in September. Not only does the device represent a promising business given its potential applications, it also points to a new direction for the future of Taiwan’s information communication technology sector.
Dubbed Mindo, the EEG headband was designed and developed by a team of some two dozen researchers and graduate students led by Lin Chin-teng, chair professor of NCTU’s Department of Computer Science. An Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers fellow, Lin also doubles as the university’s provost.
Now in its third generation of product development, Mindo is the result of an ongoing BRC research project starting in 2006, Lin told Taiwan Today during an interview Oct. 11.
“Mindo is a brain wave interface device that detects its users’ level of concentration by monitoring their brain activities. It sends signals through Bluetooth technology to a mobile device capable of interpreting such transmitted data,” he explained. Handsets, notebook computers or even watches can all be used for the purpose.
“When the sensors attached to the headset detect certain changes in the user’s brain waves reflecting a drop in attention, a warning mechanism in a connected mobile device will be activated, emitting a series of warning sounds to alert the user,” Lin said.
Wang I-jan, a technology integration researcher at the center, explained that the team began by observing patterns of human brain activities in a distracted or drowsy state. The next steps involved analyzing such phenomena, developing the appropriate hardware and finally writing software programs that run on mobile electronics to interpret the data and sound the alarm.
While the device is not based on a brand new fundamental idea, as EEG is already widely used for medical purposes, “Mindo’s merits lie in its ergonomic design and extreme ease of use,” said Chuang Wan-li, a program manager at the center.
According to Chuang, traditional EEGs often come in the shape of a hat embedded with sensors. For such devices to work, users have to apply a layer of conductive gel to their hair. Besides, most devices have to be connected to a monitoring instrument through wires, thus greatly limiting their scope of use and applications.
In comparison, Mindo is a compact and trendy headband using dry electrodes that will not mess up users’ hair, she pointed out. Weighing less than 200 grams, the device is powered by BRC-developed batteries and can run for as long as 20 hours.
Lin sees great potential for Mindo, as it can be used to alert drivers on the road to increase transportation safety, monitor patients’ brain activities for medical diagnosis and develop entertainment and education products, such as mind games. The BRC has filed patent applications in Taiwan, mainland China and the U.S., and is trying to get Mindo certified as a medical device.
The center has completed an experimental project with a local transportation company to test Mindo’s effectiveness in forewarning bus drivers. While the technology is ready, Lin said applications of such a nature may encounter legal hurdles given the possible liabilities involved.
The more feasible applications of the know-how are in entertainment, Lin pointed out. “We have designed an interactive archery game that helps gamers to focus their attention and thus improve their performance.” Another potential application is to develop products that help increase one’s level of concentration for training and educational purposes, for example.
But more importantly, Mindo points to a new direction for Taiwan’s high-tech sector, Lin noted. “The integration of biotechnology with ICT will bring in tremendous business opportunities for local firms in the field of bio IT,” the researcher said. Bio IT devices refer to any products with health management features, such as measuring blood pressure and monitoring blood sugar levels.
“People are preoccupied with managing their time and schedules, which explains why IT products have become an indispensible part of our daily lives, with all kinds of fancy features being added by the day. Unfortunately, health management has been neglected in the process,” he said.
But scientists are discovering applications of these gadgets as handy and effective tools for this particular purpose, Lin pointed out. “Just think about it. Wouldn’t it be great if you can monitor your health anywhere and anytime of the day?”
Taiwan possesses strong capabilities in product design and manufacturing as well as a solid foundation in medical science and services, which will definitely give the country an edge in this new world of opportunities gradually taking shape, Lin said. “Bio IT is not a future trend. It is happening right now.”
Given its proven accomplishment in brain research, the BRC was awarded a five-year, NT$80-million (US$2.6 million) grant by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory in May 2010, with the aim of designing, developing and testing neuroergonomic devices to enhance human behavioral decision making under stress and cognitive fatigue.
As a matter of fact, the BRC has been working with the U.S. ARL for years through a series of smaller projects, Lin said. The center is also receiving funding from several government agencies and medical organizations at home and abroad, including the Cabinet-level National Science Council and the U.S. Navy.
“The latest grant is the largest amount of funding ever awarded by the U.S. government to a Taiwanese university,” the scientist said.
The sponsorship also made the center a partner in the U.S. ARL’s Cognition and Neuroergonomics Collaborative Technology Alliance, a global research consortium consisting of the University of California at San Diego, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, University of Texas at San Antonio and University of Osnabruck in Germany.
If the result of the project proves satisfactory, the U.S. ARL may opt to proceed to the next stage of collaboration, with the possibility of joint research, Lin noted.
But for now, the BRC’s priorities are to improve Mindo’s performance and reduce its cost to make the device a truly marketable product. “We are brainstorming for more possible applications,” Lin said. “We still have a long way to go, as there are still numerous areas to be explored in brain research.” (HZW)
Write to Meg Chang at: meg.chang@mail.gio.gov.com