Brain–Computer Interfaces: Something New under the Sun

This chapter begins by briefly addressing the question: What is a brain-computer interface (BCI)? It then covers the provenance of the term BCI and its present definition, synonymous or subsidiary terms, and related neurotechnology. The remainder of the chapter introduces six themes that are important for understanding BCI research and development: BCIs create new central nervous system outputs that are fundamentally different from natural outputs; BCI operation depends on the interaction of two adaptive controllers; the importance of choosing signal types and brain areas; the importance of recognizing and avoiding artifacts; BCI output commands; and the need for validating and disseminating useful BCI applications.