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Detection of Stressful Situations Using GSR While Driving a BCI-controlled Wheelchair
Summary
Galvanic skin response (GSR) effectively detects stress in robotic wheelchair navigation. This biofeedback method aids in recognizing high-anxiety driving situations for both healthy and motor-disabled users.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Engineering
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Biomedical Signal Processing
Background:
- Robotic wheelchairs offer mobility solutions but navigating complex environments can induce stress.
- Assessing user emotional states, particularly stress, is crucial for safe and effective human-robot interaction.
- Existing methods for stress detection may not be suitable for real-time application in assistive technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of galvanic skin response (GSR) for recognizing stressful situations during robotic wheelchair operation.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a novel feature-based peak detection (FBPD) method for analyzing skin conductance responses (SCR).
- To compare GSR patterns between healthy individuals and those with motor disabilities while using a brain-computer interface (BCI) to control a wheelchair.
Main Methods:
- Healthy (n=7) and motor-disabled (n=6) participants controlled a robotic wheelchair (RobChair ISR-UC prototype) via a BCI.
- Participants navigated simulated office environments with challenging scenarios: narrow doorways, obstacle avoidance, and unexpected wheelchair trajectories.
- A feature-based peak detection (FBPD) algorithm was developed and applied to automatically detect skin conductance responses (SCR).
Main Results:
- The FBPD method demonstrated high effectiveness in automatic SCR detection.
- Skin conductance responses (SCR) were elicited in 100% of collision events (lateral scrapings).
- SCR was observed in 94% of unexpected wheelchair trajectory events, indicating heightened stress.
Conclusions:
- Galvanic skin response (GSR) is a viable biosignal for detecting stress during robotic wheelchair use.
- The proposed FBPD method offers an effective approach for real-time stress-related SCR analysis.
- Findings suggest GSR can significantly contribute to enhancing the safety and user experience of assistive robotic navigation systems.
