Implicit Robot Control Using Error-Related Potential-Based Brain–Computer Interface

This article investigates the application of using error-related potential (ErrP)-based brain–computer interface (BCI) paradigm to control robot movements with implicit commands. ErrP is a neural signal that is automatically evoked when the machine’s behavior deviates from the observer’s expectations. By continuously monitoring the presence of ErrP, the system infers the observer’s reaction toward robot movements and automatically translates them into control commands, allowing the implicit control of robot movements without interfering the observer’s other tasks. However, ErrP-based BCI has a major limitation: the ErrP is evoked after the robot has committed an error, which might be costly or dangerous in contexts, such as assembly line or autonomous driving. To address these limitations, we propose a novel robotic design for ErrP-based BCI that allows humans to continuously evaluate the robot’s intentions and intervene earlier, if necessary before the robot commits an error. We evaluate the proposed robotic design and BCI system via an experiment where a ground robot performs a binary target-reaching task. The high classification accuracy (77.57%) demonstrated that the proposed ErrP-based BCI is feasible for human–robot intention communication before the robot commits an error and has the potential to broaden the range of applications for ErrP-based BCIs.