HIVE · Hyper Interaction Viability Experiments

Could computers someday interact directly with the human brain? The vision of this four-year project is that in the next 50 years we will witness the coming of age of technologies for fluent brain-computer and computer-mediated brain-to-brain interaction. While recent BCI research has delivered important breakthroughs in brain-to-computer transmission, little has been achieved in the other direction––computer-controlled brain stimulation. Our goal is to research stimulation paradigms to design, develop and test a new generation of more powerful and controllable non-invasive brain stimulation technologies. Starting from current distribution and multi-scale neuron-current interaction modelling and stimulation experiments using tDCS, TMS, EEG and fMRI in different scenarios, the project will develop multisite transcranial current stimulation technologies implementing real time EEG monitoring and feedback. We will explore high-level communication using stimulation, stimulation during different states of consciousness, stimulation and therapy, as well as 'sense synthesis', that is, the construction of new perceptions deriving from sensors interacting directly with brains through stimulation systems––all with the goal of probing the limits of non-invasive computer-to-brain interfaces. WP1 will focus on biophysical modelling aspects, WP2 and WP3 will carry out stimulation experiments with animals and humans, and WP4 will integrate the results to develop and test new multisite technologies for interaction––both hardware and software. WP5 will organise two workshops and carry out dissemination and socio-ethical impact analysis tasks, while WP6 will cover technical and administrative management aspects. Given the fundamental role of interaction in human experience, advances in this area can deliver breakthrough information society technologies of great value in addition to advancing the state-of-the-art in fundamental neuroscience research, neurology diagnosis and therapy.