Assessing the accessibility of a domestic Brain Computer Interface and the implications for future design choices

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) are seen as a potential solution in overcoming some of the restraints that individuals with highly restricted movement face in their daily life; for instance the ability to operate appliances independently, to communicate, and to access forms of entertainment. Recently in the laboratory many successes have been reported and outreach studies have suggested that BCIs dedicated to supporting individuals with physical impairments are possible. This leads to the posing of a question. Are ubiquitous domestic brain-computer interface achievable and if so what would this entail? The BRAIN project is dedicated to answering this question. In doing this there are many aspects to be considered. In this paper we focus upon what is involved in providing a suitable BCI system to an individual, what levels of tolerance are required to make the technology a practical and usable proposition in a domestic environment and what design and technical trade-offs should be considered.