Asistive Technology Laboratory

Location: 2-50 , LABORATORY L13

Head

prof. dr. sc. Miroslav Vrankić

miroslav.vrankic@riteh.hr

+385 51 651441, int. 2441 (Office 1-10)

Researchers:

prof. dr. sc. Miroslav Vrankić

prof. dr. sc. Saša Vlahinić

asist. Ivan Markovinović

asist. Zoran Šverko

asist. Guruprasad Madhale Jadav

asist. Luka Batistić

The focus of the Asistive Technology Laboratory is technology which makes life easier for people with disabilities. People with various forms of physical disability are often highly dependent on the help of other people. Therefore, an appropriate choice of assistive technology is crucial to make them more independent. Assistive technology allows people with severe disabilities to perform various activities such as controlling the environment for people who are immobile, communicating for those who cannot speak, or using computers for people with motor disabilities or for the blind. Assistive technology always finds alternative ways to use some devices through alternative user interfaces. Just as there is a wide range of different types of disability, so is a wide range of different types of assistive devices. Managing the environment through speech for immobile people, eyegaze controlled communication devices, and thought-controlled systems (using EEG signals) are just some of the examples from a wide range of technologies designed to make people with disabilities more independent.

List of major laboratory equipment

EEG equipment:

- EEG system - V-Amp 16 Brain Products + activeCAP with active electrodes – (software: BrainVision Recorder, BrainVision RecView)

- EEG system OpenBCI + Headset with wet and dry electrodes (OpenBCI GUI v4.1.7.)

- EEG system Emotiv EPOC

Proof of concept (PoC):

• PoC8

  Neurofeedback (here in after referred to as NF) is a therapy based on real electrical brain activity with giving feedback. The basis of NF is improvement of brain work in certain frequency ranges and disabling other frequency ranges. With this method it is possible to permanently change undesirable behaviour patterns by persons with disorders such as epilepsy, ADD/ADHD, dementia etc.
  
  Photobiomodulation (hereinafter referred to as PBM) is a therapy that applies light of different wave lengths to treat certain parts of the body with aim to treat numerous disorders and diseases such as Alzheimer's, dementia, multiple sclerosis etc. The therapy uses constant intensity light or pulsed light using frequency pulses. The aim of the project is to test (prove) an innovative concept of system design that utilizes the synergistic effect of NF and PBM to treat primarily neurodegenerative diseases specific for elderly people such as Alzheimer's and dementia.

• PoC7
  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of neuro-developmental disorders characterized by problems in social communication and social interaction and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities.
  
  Neurofeedback is a therapeutic method that uses real-time displays of brain activity, most commonly electroencephalography (EEG), to teach self-regulation of brain function. With this method, it is possible to change challenging behaviors and reduce the symptoms of ASD.
  Persons with ASD often also suffer from sensory processing disorder. This means that the multisensory integration is not adequately processed in order to provide appropriate responses to the demands of the environment. As a result of that, persons develop repetitive and challenging behaviors. Multisensory environments (so-called sensory rooms) help with the sensory processing and therefore reduce challenging behaviors of persons with ASD.
  The goal of this project is to prove that it is possible to create a system that implements the neurofeedback concept within the multisensory environment. That system would provide a better quality therapeutical work with children with ASD.
• PoC6

  Locked-in syndrome is a state in which person can’t consciously control his or her own body, nor it can
  communicate in any way with others. The person is literally locked-in in his own body. This state could be the consequence of some progressive disease, such as ALS, or the consequence of a stroke or brain injury due to an accident.  For some of these patients it is hard to establish the state of consciousness because it is impossible for them to show to others that they are conscious and that they understand what others are saying. Therefore, rates of misdiagnosis, confusing the state of these patients with a state of a coma or a semi-coma, are very high. In these states, complete immobility is a big problem, but even a bigger problem is inability to communicate with others.

  The aim of this project is to prove that it is possible to realize a communication assistance device based on the analyses of brain signals (EEG) of the patients. This type of device would enable the patients with locked-in syndrome to communicate with others.

Publications (2015 - ):

Šverko, Zoran; Vlahinić, Saša; Vrankić, Miroslav; Markovinović, Ivan

EEG DATA PROCESSING IN ADHD DIAGNOSIS AND NEUROFEEDBACK // Engineering review (Technical Faculty University of Rijeka) (2020) doi:10.30765/er.40.3.12 (međunarodna recenzija, prihvaćen)

Markovinović, Ivan; Vlahinić Saša; Vrankić Miroslav

Removal of eye-blink artifacts from EEG signal // Engineering review (Technical Faculty University of Rijeka) (2020) doi:10.30765/er.40.2.11 (međunarodna recenzija, prihvaćen)

VLAHINIC, Sasa; BATISTIC, Luka; JADAV, Guruprasad Madhale; VRANKIC, Miroslav

Brain Computer Interface Based Communicator for Persons in Locked-in State // Informatica, 30 (2019), 4; 781-798 doi:10.15388/informatica.2019.229 (međunarodna recenzija, članak, ostalo)

Šverko, Zoran; Jurdana, Vedran

Different Analysis Procedures In EEG Data Signal Processing // MY FIRST CONFERENCE 2019 – BOOK OF ABSTRACTS / Čanađija, Marko ; Travaš, Vanja ; Vukelić, Goran ; Pranjić, Ivana (ur.).
Rijeka, 2019. str. 26-26 (predavanje, domaća recenzija, sažetak, znanstveni)

Markovinović, Ivan

Blind source separation // 2nd Conference on Machine Learning for Gravitational Waves, Geophysics and Constrol Systems + 3rd g2net MC Meeting
Rijeka, Hrvatska, 2019. (predavanje, pp prezentacija, znanstveni)

Šverko, Zoran

EEG data processing in neurofeedback // Book of Abstracts – My First Conference 2018 / Jardas, Mladen ; Glujić, Darko ; Vukelić, Goran ; Čanađija, Marko ; Travaš, Vanja (ur.).
Rijeka, 2018. str. 30-30 (predavanje, domaća recenzija, sažetak, znanstveni)

Jadav, Guruprasad Madhale; Batistić, Luka; Vlahinić, Saša; Vrankić, Miroslav

Brain Computer Interface Communicator : A Response to Auditory Stimuli Experiment // MIPRO 2017, 40th International Convention Proceedings / Biljanović, Petar (ur.).
Rijeka: Croatian Society for Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics - MIPRO, 2017. str. 534-537 (predavanje, međunarodna recenzija, cjeloviti rad (in extenso), znanstveni)

Jadav, Guruprasad Madhale; Vrankić, Miroslav; Vlahinić, Saša

Monitoring Cerebral Processing of Gustatory Stimulation and Perception using Emotiv Epoc // MIPRO 2015, 38th International ConventionProceedings of International Conference on Telecommunications and Information ( CIT )
Rijeka, 2015. str. 736-738 (predavanje, međunarodna recenzija, cjeloviti rad (in extenso), znanstveni)