(Press-News.org) Researchers have modified a commercial virtual reality headset, giving it the ability to measure brain activity and examine how we react to hints, stressors and other outside forces.
The research team at The University of Texas at Austin created a noninvasive electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor that they installed in a Meta VR headset that can be worn comfortably for long periods. The EEG measures the brain's electrical activity during the immersive VR interactions.
The device could be used in many ways, from helping people with anxiety, to measuring the attention or mental stress of aviators using a flight simulator, to giving a human the chance to see through the eyes of a robot.
"Virtual reality is so much more immersive than just doing something on a big screen," said Nanshu Lu, a professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering's Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics who led the research. "It gives the user a more realistic experience, and our technology enables us to get better measurements of how the brain is reacting to that environment."
The research is published in Soft Science.
The pairing of VR and EEG sensors has made its way into the commercial sphere already. However, the devices that exist today are costly, and the researchers say their electrodes are more comfortable for the user, extending the potential wearing time and opening up additional applications.
The best EEG devices today consist of a cap covered in electrodes, but that does not work well with the VR headset. And individual electrodes struggle to get a strong reading because our hair blocks them from connecting with the scalp. The most popular electrodes are rigid and comb-shaped, inserting through the hairs to connect with the skin, an uncomfortable experience for the user.
"All of these mainstream options have significant flaws that we tried to overcome with our system," said Hongbian Li, a research associate in Lu's lab.
For this project, the researchers created a spongy electrode made of soft, conductive materials that overcome those issues, an effort led by Li. The modified headset features electrodes across the top strap and forehead pad, a flexible circuit with conductive traces similar to Lu's electronic tattoos, and an EEG recording device attached to the back of the headset.
This technology will play into another major research project at UT Austin: A new robot delivery network that will also serve as the largest study to date on human-robot interactions.
Lu is a part of that project, and the VR headsets will be used by people either traveling with robots or in a remote "observatory." They will be able to watch along from the robot's perspective, and the device will also measure the mental load of this observation for long periods.
"If you can see through the eyes of the robot, it paints a clearer picture of how people are reacting to it and lets operators monitor their safety in case of potential accidents," said Luis Sentis, a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics who is co-leading the robot delivery project and is a co-author on the VR EEG paper.
To test the viability of the VR EEG headset, the researchers created a game. They worked with José del R. Millán, a faculty member in the Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Dell Medical School and an expert in brain-machine interfaces, to develop a driving simulation that has the user press a button to react to turn commands.
The EEG measures the brain activity of the users as they make driving decisions. In this case, it shows how closely the subjects are paying attention.
The researchers have filed preliminary patent paperwork for the EEG, and they’re open to partner with VR companies to create a built-in version of the technology.
Other members of the research team include Hyonyoung Shin, Minsu Zhang, Nicholas Riveira and Susmita Gangopadahyay of the Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Andrew Yu, Heeyong Huh, Zhengjie Li, and Yifan Rao from the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics; Sangjun Kim from the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jessie Peng of the Department of Biomedical Engineering; and Gubeum Kwon of Artue Associates Inc. in South Korea.
END
Modified virtual reality tech can measure brain activity
2023-08-04
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
New insights into how RNA modification promotes pancreatic cancer
2023-08-04
Chemical modifications of RNA molecules, such as m6A, can critically impact gene expression, influencing various aspects of cancer development and progression. However, while studies into m6A modification of messenger RNA (mRNA) have been extensive, exploration of its impact on lncRNAs, especially within the context of PDAC, has been relatively limited.
In an innovative study published in the Genes & Diseases journal, a team from the The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College and University of Mississippi Medical Center employed a methylated RNA immunoprecipitation ...
Study aims to assess impact of physical activity intervention on cognitive development of young children in low socioeconomic areas
2023-08-04
In an effort to address health disparities linked to low socioeconomic environments, a University of Massachusetts Amherst kinesiologist is partnering with Western Massachusetts preschools to implement a physical activity program for young children.
Sofiya Alhassan, professor of kinesiology in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, will measure the impact of a gross motor skills-based physical activity program on the cognitive development of 3- to 5-year-olds enrolled in preschools in communities with low socioeconomic ...
Type 2 diabetes is associated with hospital stays for a wide range of medical conditions but, in people diagnosed at a young age, mental health disorders are the biggest contributing factor
2023-08-04
In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Medicine: http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004261
Article Title: Age- and sex-specific hospital bed-day rates in people with and without type 2 diabetes: A territory-wide population-based cohort study of 1.5 million people in Hong Kong
Author Countries: China
Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work. END ...
Astonishing complexity of bacterial circadian clocks
2023-08-04
Bacteria make up more than 10% of all living things but until recently we had little realization that, as in humans, soil bacteria have internal clocks that synchronize their activities with the 24-hour cycles of day and night on Earth.
New research shows just how complex and sophisticated these bacterial circadian clocks are, clearing the way for an exciting new phase of study. This work will provide diverse opportunities, from precision timing of the use of antibiotics, to bioengineering smarter gut and soil microbiomes.
An international ...
Does relaxing paywall access help or hurt digital news subscriptions?
2023-08-04
Key Takeaways:
When news sites relax paywall access to their sites, they leverage the power of sampling to increase subscribers.
Temporarily suspending paywall restrictions on certain major stories or trends serves the public interest while conditioning new visitors to pay for access later.
BALTIMORE, MD, August 1, 2023 – A new study has revealed that when news sites temporarily relax or suspend restrictions tied to paywall access, they eventually see an increase in subscribers. This ...
Research reveals the ecological threats of small-scale fisheries in Thailand
2023-08-04
Marine conservation experts have revealed the extent of marine megafauna catch by small-scale fisheries, in Thailand for the first time.
The Newcastle University study provides the first-ever estimate of the annual catch of marine megafauna species, including rays, sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, and dugongs, in Thailand’s small-scale fisheries – those fisheries using small boats, low tech equipment and often haul their fishing gear by hand.
Published in the journal Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Research, the results ...
A new, long-term study by researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill finds nitrogen fixation hotspots in Atlantic seaweed
2023-08-04
A new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examined nitrogen fixation among diazotrophs—microorganisms that can convert nitrogen into usable form for other plants and animals—living among sargassum. Sargassum, a brown macroalgae in the seaweed family, floats on the surface of the open ocean and provides habitat for a colorful array of marine life such as small fish, brine shrimp and other microorganisms. Previous studies have overlooked diazotrophs associated ...
New UNC study identifies disparities in testing and treating well water among low-income, BIPOC households in NC
2023-08-04
North Carolina leads the nation for most households relying on private wells as a primary source of drinking water, with one in four households on private wells. These wells are not regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act, and most are not tested for contaminants, especially in low-income areas.
A new study published in Environmental Justice by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that private well testing and treatment levels were significantly predicted by race and income, even though high levels of contamination were equally distributed across the research areas.
“Although we found alarming levels of well water contamination ...
New study shows increase in Welsh breastfeeding rates during pandemic
2023-08-04
A Swansea University-led study revealed breastfeeding rates in Wales increased during the pandemic.
The research, which included all women in Wales who gave birth between 2018 and 2021, found that breastfeeding rates at six months were higher during Covid compared to the pre-pandemic period - with rates increasing from 16.6 per cent before the pandemic to 20.5 per cent in 2020.
The study also found a strong correlation between a mother's intention to breastfeed and the likelihood of exclusively breastfeeding ...
nTIDE July 2023 jobs report: People with disabilities continue to attain employment at an all-time high level
2023-08-04
East Hanover, NJ – August 4, 2023 – People with disabilities maintained their job numbers, reflecting all-time highs in July, according to today’s National Trends in Disability Employment – semi-monthly update (nTIDE), issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD). nTIDE experts stated that more people with disabilities are engaged working and seeking work.
Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing June 2023 to July 2023)
Based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report released today, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) ...