Navigation paradigms for non-invasive BCI-controlled wheelchairs: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Technology

Background:

• Brain-controlled powered wheelchairs (BCPWs) are crucial for individuals with severe motor impairments.
• Despite advancements, BCI wheelchairs face challenges in real-world application and navigation.
• This review systematically examines BCI technology for wheelchair navigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review recent trends in BCI technology for wheelchair navigation and control.
• To highlight the contributions and limitations of various navigation paradigms.
• To identify research gaps and future directions for BCI wheelchair systems.

Main Methods:

• PRISMA guidelines followed for systematic review.
• Searched PubMed, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar (2000-April 2025).
• Focused on non-invasive BCI and real-world navigation studies, synthesizing 47 articles.

Main Results:

• BCI wheelchair studies predominantly feature low-level navigation control with limited obstacle avoidance.
• Most studies (57%) integrate sensors for enhanced navigation features like obstacle avoidance and mapping.
• Motor imagery and SSVEP paradigms are common for control command generation.

Conclusions:

• BCI wheelchairs show promise but require enhanced reliability and adaptability for real-world use.
• Future research should focus on improving autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance capabilities.
• Addressing these areas will increase the societal impact and accessibility of BCI wheelchairs.