Human-machine Interface in Multimedia Communication Examples of Revolutions and Evolutions in Communications an Overview of Bcis

Human-computer interface (HCI) has been a growing field of research and development in recent years [1]-[4]. Most of the effort has been dedicated to the design of user-friendly and ergonomic systems by means of innovative interfaces such as voice, vision, and other input/output devices in virtual reality [5]-[15]. Direct brain-computer interface (BCI) adds a new dimension to HCI [16]-[23]. Interesting research in this direction has already been initiated, motivated by the hope of creating new communication channels for persons with severe motor disabilities. In this article, we approach the problem of BCI from the viewpoint of interactions in a multimedia-rich environment for the general consumer market. However, this is by no means incompatible with applications for motor impaired subjects. There is a general consensus that BCI represents a new frontier in science and technology. One of the challenging aspects is the need for multidisciplinary skills to achieve this goal. The growing field of BCI is in its infancy, and a significant amount of research is still needed to answer many questions and to resolve many complex problems. This article raises various issues in the design of an efficient BCI system in multimedia applications. The main focus will be on one specific modality, namely electroencephalography (EEG)-based BCI. In doTouradj Ebrahimi, Jean-Marc Vesin, and Gary Garcia