Lecturer: Léa Pillette
Fields: Brain-Computer Interface, Neurofeedback, Virtual Reality, Human-Computer Interaction, Neurology, Computer Science
Content
This course provides a comprehensive overview of how Virtual Reality (VR) intersect with Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs), which are neurotechnologies that introduce promising possibilities to interact with digital devices solely through the acquisition and analysis of brain activity, typically measured using electroencephalography.
BCIs enhance VR applications in two key ways: by enabling direct control of virtual elements through mental commands, such as imagining hand movements to guide a virtual character, and by gathering real-time neural data to adapt and personalize the VR experience to the user\’s cognitive and emotional state. Conversely, VR platforms offer immersive environments that facilitate BCI user training and rehabilitation, creating tailored scenarios that improve brain activity modulation and learning outcomes.
The course is structured into four sessions: the first two cover the mutual benefits of integrating BCI with VR technologies. The final two sessions will focus on therapies that utilize VR-based and BCI-based approaches independently, as well as innovative interventions at the intersection of both technologies. These combined VR-BCI therapies harness neurofeedback, and immersive environments to promote functional recovery, for instance in motor rehabilitation after stroke. This integrated approach provides patient-centered, adaptable, and motivating rehabilitation protocols that leverage real-time brain activity monitoring to enhance neuroplasticity and clinical outcomes.
Session 1 and 2: mutual benefits of integrating BCI with VR technologies
Sessions 3 and 4: state of the art on VR and BCI-based therapies
Literature
- • Drigas, A., & Sideraki, A. (2024). Brain neuroplasticity leveraging virtual reality and brain–computer interface technologies. Sensors, 24(17), 5725.
- • Kober, S. E., Wood, G., & Berger, L. M. (2024). Controlling virtual reality with brain signals: state of the art of using VR-based feedback in neurofeedback applications. Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback, 1-20.
- • Lotte, F., Faller, J., Guger, C., Renard, Y., Pfurtscheller, G., Lécuyer, A., & Leeb, R. (2012). Combining BCI with virtual reality: towards new applications and improved BCI. In Towards practical brain-computer interfaces: Bridging the gap from research to real-world applications (pp. 197-220). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
- • Roc, A., Pillette, L., Mladenovic, J., Benaroch, C., N’Kaoua, B., Jeunet, C., & Lotte, F. (2021). A review of user training methods in brain computer interfaces based on mental tasks. Journal of Neural Engineering, 18(1), 011002.
Lecturer
Dr. Léa Pillette is a CNRS researcher and member of the Seamless team at IRISA, Rennes, France, since 2022. She obtained her PhD in computer science from the University of Bordeaux in 2019. Her research focuses on developing innovative methods to train individuals to regulate their brain activity, enabling more accessible and effective use of brain-computer interfaces for applications such as medical interventions and virtual world interactions.
Affiliation: Univ. Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, Rennes, France
Homepage: https://lea-pillette.ovh/