Seventh International Brain Computer Interface Meeting

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have the potential to revolutionize communication and environmental interaction abilities for people with extensive paralysis. Successful translation of BCIs to actual clinical use by such people depends on close and productive multidisciplinary interactions, and requires recognition of and attention to a set of crucial issues. The International BCI Meeting Series (1999, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2013 and 2016) convened a wide range of research groups and disciplines vital to BCI research and triggered many productive interactions and collaborations. This proposal, for the Seventh International BCI Meeting: “BCIs: Not Getting Lost in Translation,” will be organized under the leadership of a Program Committee appointed by the BCI Society. The meeting will encourage and facilitate the development and translation of BCIs into clinically-viable devices through the following specific aims: 1) Convene and foster productive interactions among all the disciplines and constituencies whose cooperation is crucial to successful BCI research and development. No other venue brings them all together. 2) Present a concise and comprehensive update of the current state of BCI research and development. 3) Address in focused workshops the major topics critical for continued progress in BCI research and development. Additional topics of broad interest will be chosen based on workshop proposals and abstracts submitted by participants. 4) Promote the education and development of new researchers through the participation of many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Networking events will encourage interactions between new and established researchers and particularly target underrepresented groups of researchers. 5) Convene the new BCI Society and encourage the involvement of young scientists in the society. This is crucial to generating new and fresh ideas in addition to translating state-of-the-art BCIs to clinical use. 6) Maximize the immediate and long-term Meeting impact through publication by the journal Brain Computer Interfaces of a special issue of peer-reviewed primary articles and focused reviews derived from the meeting. In summary, this meeting will assemble scientists, engineers, clinicians and policymakers involved in BCI research and clinical use, review the present state of the field, address key issues critical to further progress, and promote the education and participation of young researchers. This meeting and the resulting comprehensive publications should, like its predecessors, contribute greatly to BCI research and development.