EEG-Devices for Evaluations and Visualization Adaption

In VA and InfoVis, users and developers pay not enough attention to the evaluation of visualizations and tools. This was a relatively unexplored area in the past. Practical solutions have to be found, analyzed, and valued. Novel evaluation approaches use specific hardware, such as eye tracker or EEG-headsets. In our research, we use EEG-devices to measure subjective parameters in evaluations. Those devices can also be applied to dynamically adapt visualization according to the user's emotional state.

Another important field in which brain-computer interfaces are being successfully integrated is the interaction with vehicular systems. In this work, we evaluate the performance of BCIs, more specifically a commercial electroencephalographic (EEG) headset, in combination with vehicle dashboard systems and analyze the advantages and limitations of this approach. Our prelimianry results suggest that the control with the EEG headset introduces less distraction to the driver, probably as it allows the eyes of the driver to remain focused on the road. Still, the control of the vehicle dashboard by EEG is efficient only for a limited number of functions.

The EEG-Devices for Evaluations and Visualization Adaption project was performed from 2009 until 2015 in collaboration with the Research Group on HCI and Visualization at the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.