48-Subject Study Shows 3-Channel P300 Matches 8-Channel Performance
Researchers at Guangzhou Maritime University, Guangdong University of Technology and Guangzhou University in southern China combined a genetic algorithm with Bayesian linear discriminant analysis to pick a fixed, strongly generalizable three-channel subset from a conventional eight-channel P300 BCI, avoiding per-user recalibration. In offline and online virtual reality experiments with 48 healthy subjects, the three-channel system matched the eight-channel system on accuracy and information transfer rate, while equipment preparation fell from 30 minutes to 3, a 90% cut. NASA-TLX scores showed significantly lower mental and physical workload. The study was published in Biomimetics on September 1, 2026.