Gaze-Plus-Motor-Imagery BCI Reaches 100% Accuracy With 16-Channel EEG
Motor imagery BCIs have long faced two problems: wide variation between users and only a small number of distinguishable commands. In this study, users first select a target by looking at it, then confirm the choice with imagined movement, merging the two steps into one. In tests with 15 healthy participants using 16-channel EEG, the hybrid paradigm outperformed motor imagery alone in every channel configuration, reaching up to 100% accuracy. The researchers also found that fixating on the target made EEG responses more stable, which supports using fewer electrodes and lowering the hardware barrier.
Why it matters
The significance lies less in the 100% figure than in the confirmation chain: pairing gaze with motor imagery turns a BCI that could handle only a few commands into a scalable multi-command system. More practically, a small number of channels matched the full array, so devices can be lighter and quicker to put on, a real difference for users who need long-term communication support. Testing so far involved only 15 healthy people; performance in patients has yet to be verified.