2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Non-invasive Brain-computer Interface (BCI) is a new science that detects patterns in the human brain’s signals (electroencephalogram (EEG) signals) and leverages these neurological responses for various applications. The first application of BCI was in the medical field to support individuals with disabilities, enable them to communicate, operate computers, and utilize assistive devices like wheelchairs and robotic arms. However, nowadays, the BCI technology and its application have been extended to different fields such as education, entertainment and gaming, and robotics. BCI, an emerging interdisciplinary field, offers many exciting research opportunities and holds the promise of creating numerous job prospects in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to add this topic to the curriculum of universities to educate the next generations of students.
Integrating BCI courses into engineering curricula offers a range of advantages, benefiting both students and the engineering field. BCI courses will provide opportunities for students to explore interdisciplinary avenues, fostering collaboration between fields such as mechanical engineering, computer engineering, psychology, and neuroscience. Due to the nature of the BCI topic, projects with hands-on experiences could be designed to facilitate practical, experiential learning that will engage students and leave a lasting impact. Students will be exposed to cutting-edge technology and research areas through BCI courses which will ignite innovation and encourage them to contribute to the evolving field of neuro-engineering. Moreover, the next generation of technologies will follow the user-centric design as there is more emphasis on human needs interacting with technology, so BCI courses will be aligned with modern engineering practices, which will open doors to diverse career opportunities in gaming, assistive technologies, healthcare, robotics, and human-computer interaction.
To comply with such demand, a new course titled “Brain-Computer Interface” is in its final stages of development at a university in the state of Michigan and will be offered in Spring 2024. This course will integrate theory, cutting-edge simulations, hands-on experience, and working with data acquisition systems (e.g., EEG headbands) in real time to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of BCI technology and its practical applications. The course curriculum will cover the fundamentals of neural signal processing, hardware and software components, and real-world case studies. This innovative course also reflects our university’s commitment to offering cutting-edge education that prepares students to meet the challenges of the future and contribute to the advancement of engineering and technology. In this paper, the details of the developed course, implementation steps, and student feedback will be reported.