Motor Imagery Performance Through Embodied Digital Twins in a Virtual Reality-Enabled Brain-Computer Interface Environment

Summary

Motor imagery in a virtual reality environment has wide applications in brain-computer interface systems. This manuscript outlines the use of personalized digital avatars that resemble the participants performing movements imagined by the participant in a virtual reality environment to enhance immersion and a sense of body ownership.

Abstract

This study introduces an innovative framework for neurological rehabilitation by integrating brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and virtual reality (VR) technologies with the customization of three-dimensional (3D) avatars. Traditional approaches to rehabilitation often fail to fully engage patients, primarily due to their inability to provide a deeply immersive and interactive experience. This research endeavors to fill this gap by utilizing motor imagery (MI) techniques, where participants visualize physical movements without actual execution. This method capitalizes on the brain's neural mechanisms, activating areas involved in movement execution when imagining movements, thereby facilitating the recovery process. The integration of VR's immersive capabilities with the precision of electroencephalography (EEG) to capture and interpret brain activity associated with imagined movements forms the core of this system. Digital Twins in the form of personalized 3D avatars are employed to significantly enhance the sense of immersion within the virtual environment. This heightened sense of embodiment is crucial for effective rehabilitation, aiming to bolster the connection between the patient and their virtual counterpart. By doing so, the system not only aims to improve motor imagery performance but also seeks to provide a more engaging and efficacious rehabilitation experience. Through the real-time application of BCI, the system allows for the direct translation of imagined movements into virtual actions performed by the 3D avatar, offering immediate feedback to the user. This feedback loop is essential for reinforcing the neural pathways involved in motor control and recovery. The ultimate goal of the developed system is to significantly enhance the effectiveness of motor imagery exercises by making them more interactive and responsive to the user's cognitive processes, thereby paving a new path in the field of neurological rehabilitation.

Introduction

Rehabilitation paradigms for patients with neurological impairments are undergoing a transformative shift with the integration of advanced technologies such as brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and immersive virtual reality (VR), offering a more nuanced and effective method for fostering recovery. Motor imagery (MI), the technique at the heart of BCI-based rehabilitation, involves the mental rehearsal of physical movements without actual motor execution¹. MI exploits a neural mechanism where imagining a movement triggers a pattern of brain activity that closely mirrors that of performing the physical action itself^2,

Protocol

The current study aims to investigate the feasibility of controlling a 3D avatar in real-time within a VR environment using MI signals recorded via EEG. The study focuses on enhancing immersion and the sense of body ownership by personalizing the avatar to resemble the subject closely. The protocol received approval from the Vellore Institute of Technology Review Board. Participants provided written informed consent after reviewing the study's purpose, procedures, and potential risks.

Discussion

The application of MI in conjunction with VR technology offers a promising avenue for rehabilitation by leveraging the brain's natural mechanisms for motor planning and execution. MI's ability to induce event-related desynchronization in specific brain frequency bands, mirroring the neural activity of physical movement^2,3,4, provides a robust framework for engaging and strengthening the neural networks involved in motor .......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Alienware Laptop	Dell		High-end gaming laptop with GTX1070 Graphics Card
Oculus Rift-S VR headset	Meta		VR headset
OpenBCI Cyton Daisy	OpenBCI		EEG system
OpenBCI Gel-free cap	OpenBCI		Gel-free cap for placing the EEG electrodes over the participant's scalp