A Synergy of Convolutional Neural Networks for Sensor-Based EEG Brain-Computer Interfaces to Enhance Motor Imagery Classification.

Journal: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
PMID:

Abstract

Enhancing motor disability assessment and its imagery classification is a significant concern in contemporary medical practice, necessitating reliable solutions to improve patient outcomes. One promising avenue is the use of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which establish a direct communication pathway between users and machines. This technology holds the potential to revolutionize human-machine interaction, especially for individuals diagnosed with motor disabilities. Despite this promise, extracting reliable control signals from noisy brain data remains a critical challenge. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach leveraging the collaborative synergy of five convolutional neural network (CNN) models to improve the classification accuracy of motor imagery tasks, which are essential components of BCI systems. Our method demonstrates exceptional performance, achieving an accuracy of 79.44% on the BCI Competition IV 2a dataset, surpassing existing state-of-the-art techniques in using multiple CNN models. This advancement offers significant promise for enhancing the efficacy and versatility of BCIs in a wide range of real-world applications, from assistive technologies to neurorehabilitation, thereby providing robust solutions for individuals with motor disabilities.

Authors

  • Souheyl Mallat
    Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Sciences, Monastir University, Monastir 5019, Tunisia.
  • Emna Hkiri
    Department of Computer Science, Higher Institute of Computer Science, Kairouan University, Kairouan 3100, Tunisia.
  • Abdullah M Albarrak
    Department of Computer Science, College of Computer and Information Sciences, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 11432, Saudi Arabia.
  • Borhen Louhichi
    Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 11432, Saudi Arabia.