Wearable, wireless EEG solutions in daily life applications: what are we missing?

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Noninvasive surface electroencephalography (EEG) is crucial for understanding brain dynamics and real-life human-environment interactions.
• Current EEG systems are often stationary and cumbersome, limiting their use in daily life.
• To maximize EEG's potential, systems must evolve into unobtrusive, wearable, wireless solutions for health monitoring and improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the state-of-the-art in wireless and wearable EEG solutions.
• To identify areas requiring improvement for effective brain activity monitoring in lifestyle settings.
• To provide guidelines for developing intelligent, wearable, wireless EEG solutions for everyday use.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of current wireless and wearable EEG technologies.
• Analysis of key aspects including personal traits, sensory inputs, signal acquisition and analysis, and feedback generation.
• Identification of critical research areas for advancing EEG technology.

Main Results:

• Wireless and wearable EEG technology is advancing but requires significant improvements.
• Key areas for progress include application-driven design, end-user development, data standardization, and artifact handling.
• Guidelines are proposed for creating intelligent, lifestyle-integrated EEG solutions.

Conclusions:

• Transforming EEG systems into convenient, high-quality wearable solutions is essential for widespread adoption.
• Rapid research progress is needed in user-centric design, data sharing, and sophisticated artifact management.
• Intelligent wearable EEG holds promise for enhanced understanding and management of brain health.