Header logo is


2022


Reconstructing Expressive {3D} Humans from {RGB} Images
Reconstructing Expressive 3D Humans from RGB Images

Choutas, V.

ETH Zurich, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and ETH Zurich, December 2022 (thesis)

Abstract
To interact with our environment, we need to adapt our body posture and grasp objects with our hands. During a conversation our facial expressions and hand gestures convey important non-verbal cues about our emotional state and intentions towards our fellow speakers. Thus, modeling and capturing 3D full-body shape and pose, hand articulation and facial expressions are necessary to create realistic human avatars for augmented and virtual reality. This is a complex task, due to the large number of degrees of freedom for articulation, body shape variance, occlusions from objects and self-occlusions from body parts, e.g. crossing our hands, and subject appearance. The community has thus far relied on expensive and cumbersome equipment, such as multi-view cameras or motion capture markers, to capture the 3D human body. While this approach is effective, it is limited to a small number of subjects and indoor scenarios. Using monocular RGB cameras would greatly simplify the avatar creation process, thanks to their lower cost and ease of use. These advantages come at a price though, since RGB capture methods need to deal with occlusions, perspective ambiguity and large variations in subject appearance, in addition to all the challenges posed by full-body capture. In an attempt to simplify the problem, researchers generally adopt a divide-and-conquer strategy, estimating the body, face and hands with distinct methods using part-specific datasets and benchmarks. However, the hands and face constrain the body and vice-versa, e.g. the position of the wrist depends on the elbow, shoulder, etc.; the divide-and-conquer approach can not utilize this constraint. In this thesis, we aim to reconstruct the full 3D human body, using only readily accessible monocular RGB images. In a first step, we introduce a parametric 3D body model, called SMPL-X, that can represent full-body shape and pose, hand articulation and facial expression. Next, we present an iterative optimization method, named SMPLify-X, that fits SMPL-X to 2D image keypoints. While SMPLify-X can produce plausible results if the 2D observations are sufficiently reliable, it is slow and susceptible to initialization. To overcome these limitations, we introduce ExPose, a neural network regressor, that predicts SMPL-X parameters from an image using body-driven attention, i.e. by zooming in on the hands and face, after predicting the body. From the zoomed-in part images, dedicated part networks predict the hand and face parameters. ExPose combines the independent body, hand, and face estimates by trusting them equally. This approach though does not fully exploit the correlation between parts and fails in the presence of challenges such as occlusion or motion blur. Thus, we need a better mechanism to aggregate information from the full body and part images. PIXIE uses neural networks called moderators that learn to fuse information from these two image sets before predicting the final part parameters. Overall, the addition of the hands and face leads to noticeably more natural and expressive reconstructions. Creating high fidelity avatars from RGB images requires accurate estimation of 3D body shape. Although existing methods are effective at predicting body pose, they struggle with body shape. We identify the lack of proper training data as the cause. To overcome this obstacle, we propose to collect internet images from fashion models websites, together with anthropometric measurements. At the same time, we ask human annotators to rate images and meshes according to a pre-defined set of linguistic attributes. We then define mappings between measurements, linguistic shape attributes and 3D body shape. Equipped with these mappings, we train a neural network regressor, SHAPY, that predicts accurate 3D body shapes from a single RGB image. We observe that existing 3D shape benchmarks lack subject variety and/or ground-truth shape. Thus, we introduce a new benchmark, Human Bodies in the Wild (HBW), which contains images of humans and their corresponding 3D ground-truth body shape. SHAPY shows how we can overcome the lack of in-the-wild images with 3D shape annotations through easy-to-obtain anthropometric measurements and linguistic shape attributes. Regressors that estimate 3D model parameters are robust and accurate, but often fail to tightly fit the observations. Optimization-based approaches tightly fit the data, by minimizing an energy function composed of a data term that penalizes deviations from the observations and priors that encode our knowledge of the problem. Finding the balance between these terms and implementing a performant version of the solver is a time-consuming and non-trivial task. Machine-learned continuous optimizers combine the benefits of both regression and optimization approaches. They learn the priors directly from data, avoiding the need for hand-crafted heuristics and loss term balancing, and benefit from optimized neural network frameworks for fast inference. Inspired from the classic Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, we propose a neural optimizer that outperforms classic optimization, regression and hybrid optimization-regression approaches. Our proposed update rule uses a weighted combination of gradient descent and a network-predicted update. To show the versatility of the proposed method, we apply it on three other problems, namely full body estimation from (i) 2D keypoints, (ii) head and hand location from a head-mounted device and (iii) face tracking from dense 2D landmarks. Our method can easily be applied to new model fitting problems and offers a competitive alternative to well-tuned traditional model fitting pipelines, both in terms of accuracy and speed. To summarize, we propose a new and richer representation of the human body, SMPL-X, that is able to jointly model the 3D human body pose and shape, facial expressions and hand articulation. We propose methods, SMPLify-X, ExPose and PIXIE that estimate SMPL-X parameters from monocular RGB images, progressively improving the accuracy and realism of the predictions. To further improve reconstruction fidelity, we demonstrate how we can use easy-to-collect internet data and human annotations to overcome the lack of 3D shape data and train a model, SHAPY, that predicts accurate 3D body shape from a single RGB image. Finally, we propose a flexible learnable update rule for parametric human model fitting that outperforms both classic optimization and neural network approaches. This approach is easily applicable to a variety of problems, unlocking new applications in AR/VR scenarios.

ps

pdf [BibTex]

2022


pdf [BibTex]


no image
Proceedings of the First Conference on Causal Learning and Reasoning (CLeaR 2022)

Schölkopf, B., Uhler, C., Zhang, K.

177, Proceedings of Machine Learning Research, PMLR, April 2022 (proceedings)

ei

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]

2021


no image
Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on NLP for Positive Impact

Field, A., Prabhumoye, S., Sap, M., Jin, Z., Zhao, J., Brockett, C.

Association for Computational Linguistics, August 2021 (proceedings)

ei

link (url) [BibTex]

2021


link (url) [BibTex]


no image
Reinforcement Learning Algorithms: Analysis and Applications

Belousov, B., H., A., Klink, P., Parisi, S., Peters, J.

883, Studies in Computational Intelligence, Springer International Publishing, 2021 (book)

ei

DOI [BibTex]

DOI [BibTex]

2020


no image
Voltage dependent interfacial magnetism in multilayer systems

Nacke, R.

Universität Stuttgart, Stuttgart, December 2020 (thesis)

mms

[BibTex]

2020


[BibTex]


Excursion Search for Constrained Bayesian Optimization under a Limited Budget of Failures
Excursion Search for Constrained Bayesian Optimization under a Limited Budget of Failures

Marco, A., Rohr, A. V., Baumann, D., Hernández-Lobato, J. M., Trimpe, S.

2020 (proceedings) In revision

Abstract
When learning to ride a bike, a child falls down a number of times before achieving the first success. As falling down usually has only mild consequences, it can be seen as a tolerable failure in exchange for a faster learning process, as it provides rich information about an undesired behavior. In the context of Bayesian optimization under unknown constraints (BOC), typical strategies for safe learning explore conservatively and avoid failures by all means. On the other side of the spectrum, non conservative BOC algorithms that allow failing may fail an unbounded number of times before reaching the optimum. In this work, we propose a novel decision maker grounded in control theory that controls the amount of risk we allow in the search as a function of a given budget of failures. Empirical validation shows that our algorithm uses the failures budget more efficiently in a variety of optimization experiments, and generally achieves lower regret, than state-of-the-art methods. In addition, we propose an original algorithm for unconstrained Bayesian optimization inspired by the notion of excursion sets in stochastic processes, upon which the failures-aware algorithm is built.

am ics

arXiv code (python) PDF [BibTex]


Computer Vision for Autonomous Vehicles: Problems, Datasets and State-of-the-Art
Computer Vision for Autonomous Vehicles: Problems, Datasets and State-of-the-Art

Janai, J., Güney, F., Behl, A., Geiger, A.

Arxiv, Foundations and Trends in Computer Graphics and Vision, 2020 (book)

Abstract
Recent years have witnessed enormous progress in AI-related fields such as computer vision, machine learning, and autonomous vehicles. As with any rapidly growing field, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay up-to-date or enter the field as a beginner. While several survey papers on particular sub-problems have appeared, no comprehensive survey on problems, datasets, and methods in computer vision for autonomous vehicles has been published. This monograph attempts to narrow this gap by providing a survey on the state-of-the-art datasets and techniques. Our survey includes both the historically most relevant literature as well as the current state of the art on several specific topics, including recognition, reconstruction, motion estimation, tracking, scene understanding, and end-to-end learning for autonomous driving. Towards this goal, we analyze the performance of the state of the art on several challenging benchmarking datasets, including KITTI, MOT, and Cityscapes. Besides, we discuss open problems and current research challenges. To ease accessibility and accommodate missing references, we also provide a website that allows navigating topics as well as methods and provides additional information.

avg

pdf Project Page link Project Page [BibTex]

2019


no image
Prototyping Micro- and Nano-Optics with Focused Ion Beam Lithography

Keskinbora, K.

SL48, pages: 46, SPIE.Spotlight, SPIE Press, Bellingham, WA, 2019 (book)

mms

DOI [BibTex]

2019


DOI [BibTex]

2017


no image
Elements of Causal Inference - Foundations and Learning Algorithms

Peters, J., Janzing, D., Schölkopf, B.

Adaptive Computation and Machine Learning Series, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2017 (book)

ei

PDF [BibTex]

2017


PDF [BibTex]


Mobile Microrobotics
Mobile Microrobotics

Sitti, M.

Mobile Microrobotics, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2017 (book)

Abstract
Progress in micro- and nano-scale science and technology has created a demand for new microsystems for high-impact applications in healthcare, biotechnology, manufacturing, and mobile sensor networks. The new robotics field of microrobotics has emerged to extend our interactions and explorations to sub-millimeter scales. This is the first textbook on micron-scale mobile robotics, introducing the fundamentals of design, analysis, fabrication, and control, and drawing on case studies of existing approaches. The book covers the scaling laws that can be used to determine the dominant forces and effects at the micron scale; models forces acting on microrobots, including surface forces, friction, and viscous drag; and describes such possible microfabrication techniques as photo-lithography, bulk micromachining, and deep reactive ion etching. It presents on-board and remote sensing methods, noting that remote sensors are currently more feasible; studies possible on-board microactuators; discusses self-propulsion methods that use self-generated local gradients and fields or biological cells in liquid environments; and describes remote microrobot actuation methods for use in limited spaces such as inside the human body. It covers possible on-board powering methods, indispensable in future medical and other applications; locomotion methods for robots on surfaces, in liquids, in air, and on fluid-air interfaces; and the challenges of microrobot localization and control, in particular multi-robot control methods for magnetic microrobots. Finally, the book addresses current and future applications, including noninvasive medical diagnosis and treatment, environmental remediation, and scientific tools.

pi

Mobile Microrobotics By Metin Sitti - Chapter 1 (PDF) link (url) [BibTex]

Mobile Microrobotics By Metin Sitti - Chapter 1 (PDF) link (url) [BibTex]

2016


no image
Proceedings of the 32nd Conference on Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence (UAI)

Ihler, A. T., Janzing, D.

pages: 869 pages, AUAI Press, June 2016 (proceedings)

ei

link (url) [BibTex]

2016


link (url) [BibTex]

2015


Proceedings of the 37th German Conference on Pattern Recognition
Proceedings of the 37th German Conference on Pattern Recognition

Gall, J., Gehler, P., Leibe, B.

Springer, German Conference on Pattern Recognition, October 2015 (proceedings)

ps

GCPR conference website [BibTex]

2015


GCPR conference website [BibTex]


no image
Policy Search for Imitation Learning

Doerr, A.

University of Stuttgart, January 2015 (thesis)

am ics

link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

2014


Advanced Structured Prediction
Advanced Structured Prediction

Nowozin, S., Gehler, P. V., Jancsary, J., Lampert, C. H.

Advanced Structured Prediction, pages: 432, Neural Information Processing Series, MIT Press, November 2014 (book)

Abstract
The goal of structured prediction is to build machine learning models that predict relational information that itself has structure, such as being composed of multiple interrelated parts. These models, which reflect prior knowledge, task-specific relations, and constraints, are used in fields including computer vision, speech recognition, natural language processing, and computational biology. They can carry out such tasks as predicting a natural language sentence, or segmenting an image into meaningful components. These models are expressive and powerful, but exact computation is often intractable. A broad research effort in recent years has aimed at designing structured prediction models and approximate inference and learning procedures that are computationally efficient. This volume offers an overview of this recent research in order to make the work accessible to a broader research community. The chapters, by leading researchers in the field, cover a range of topics, including research trends, the linear programming relaxation approach, innovations in probabilistic modeling, recent theoretical progress, and resource-aware learning.

ps

publisher link (url) [BibTex]

2014


publisher link (url) [BibTex]


no image
Learning Motor Skills: From Algorithms to Robot Experiments

Kober, J., Peters, J.

97, pages: 191, Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics, Springer, 2014 (book)

ei

DOI [BibTex]

DOI [BibTex]


no image
Development of advanced methods for improving astronomical images

Schmeißer, N.

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, 2014 (diplomathesis)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]

2013


no image
Camera-specific Image Denoising

Schober, M.

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, October 2013 (diplomathesis)

ei pn

PDF [BibTex]

2013


PDF [BibTex]


no image
Proceedings of the 10th European Workshop on Reinforcement Learning, Volume 24

Deisenroth, M., Szepesvári, C., Peters, J.

pages: 173, JMLR, European Workshop On Reinforcement Learning, EWRL, 2013 (proceedings)

ei

Web [BibTex]

Web [BibTex]

2012


no image
Machine Learning and Interpretation in Neuroimaging - Revised Selected and Invited Contributions

Langs, G., Rish, I., Grosse-Wentrup, M., Murphy, B.

pages: 266, Springer, Heidelberg, Germany, International Workshop, MLINI, Held at NIPS, 2012, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 7263 (proceedings)

ei

DOI [BibTex]

2012


DOI [BibTex]


no image
MICCAI, Workshop on Computational Diffusion MRI, 2012 (electronic publication)

Panagiotaki, E., O’Donnell, L., Schultz, T., Zhang, G.

15th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI), Workshop on Computational Diffusion MRI , 2012 (proceedings)

ei

PDF [BibTex]

PDF [BibTex]


no image
The Playful Machine - Theoretical Foundation and Practical Realization of Self-Organizing Robots

Der, R., Martius, G.

Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, 2012 (book)

Abstract
Autonomous robots may become our closest companions in the near future. While the technology for physically building such machines is already available today, a problem lies in the generation of the behavior for such complex machines. Nature proposes a solution: young children and higher animals learn to master their complex brain-body systems by playing. Can this be an option for robots? How can a machine be playful? The book provides answers by developing a general principle---homeokinesis, the dynamical symbiosis between brain, body, and environment---that is shown to drive robots to self-determined, individual development in a playful and obviously embodiment-related way: a dog-like robot starts playing with a barrier, eventually jumping or climbing over it; a snakebot develops coiling and jumping modes; humanoids develop climbing behaviors when fallen into a pit, or engage in wrestling-like scenarios when encountering an opponent. The book also develops guided self-organization, a new method that helps to make the playful machines fit for fulfilling tasks in the real world.

al

link (url) [BibTex]


Consumer Depth Cameras for Computer Vision - Research Topics and Applications
Consumer Depth Cameras for Computer Vision - Research Topics and Applications

Fossati, A., Gall, J., Grabner, H., Ren, X., Konolige, K.

Advances in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, Springer, 2012 (book)

ps

workshop publisher's site [BibTex]

workshop publisher's site [BibTex]

2011


no image
Optimization for Machine Learning

Sra, S., Nowozin, S., Wright, S.

pages: 494, Neural information processing series, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, December 2011 (book)

Abstract
The interplay between optimization and machine learning is one of the most important developments in modern computational science. Optimization formulations and methods are proving to be vital in designing algorithms to extract essential knowledge from huge volumes of data. Machine learning, however, is not simply a consumer of optimization technology but a rapidly evolving field that is itself generating new optimization ideas. This book captures the state of the art of the interaction between optimization and machine learning in a way that is accessible to researchers in both fields. Optimization approaches have enjoyed prominence in machine learning because of their wide applicability and attractive theoretical properties. The increasing complexity, size, and variety of today's machine learning models call for the reassessment of existing assumptions. This book starts the process of reassessment. It describes the resurgence in novel contexts of established frameworks such as first-order methods, stochastic approximations, convex relaxations, interior-point methods, and proximal methods. It also devotes attention to newer themes such as regularized optimization, robust optimization, gradient and subgradient methods, splitting techniques, and second-order methods. Many of these techniques draw inspiration from other fields, including operations research, theoretical computer science, and subfields of optimization. The book will enrich the ongoing cross-fertilization between the machine learning community and these other fields, and within the broader optimization community.

ei

Web [BibTex]

2011


Web [BibTex]


no image
Bayesian Time Series Models

Barber, D., Cemgil, A., Chiappa, S.

pages: 432, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, August 2011 (book)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


no image
JMLR Workshop and Conference Proceedings Volume 19: COLT 2011

Kakade, S., von Luxburg, U.

pages: 834, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, 24th Annual Conference on Learning Theory , June 2011 (proceedings)

ei

Web [BibTex]

Web [BibTex]


no image
Handbook of Statistical Bioinformatics

Lu, H., Schölkopf, B., Zhao, H.

pages: 627, Springer Handbooks of Computational Statistics, Springer, Berlin, Germany, 2011 (book)

ei

Web DOI [BibTex]

Web DOI [BibTex]

2010


no image
Inferring High-Dimensional Causal Relations using Free Probability Theory

Zscheischler, J.

Humboldt Universität Berlin, Germany, August 2010 (diplomathesis)

ei

PDF [BibTex]

2010


PDF [BibTex]


no image
Semi-supervised Subspace Learning and Application to Human Functional Magnetic Brain Resonance Imaging Data

Shelton, J.

Biologische Kybernetik, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen, Germany, July 2010 (diplomathesis)

ei

PDF [BibTex]

PDF [BibTex]


no image
Quantitative Evaluation of MR-based Attenuation Correction for Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Mantlik, F.

Biologische Kybernetik, Universität Mannheim, Germany, March 2010 (diplomathesis)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


no image
JMLR Workshop and Conference Proceedings: Volume 6

Guyon, I., Janzing, D., Schölkopf, B.

pages: 288, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, Causality: Objectives and Assessment (NIPS Workshop) , February 2010 (proceedings)

ei

Web [BibTex]

Web [BibTex]


no image
From Motor Learning to Interaction Learning in Robots

Sigaud, O., Peters, J.

pages: 538, Studies in Computational Intelligence ; 264, (Editors: O Sigaud, J Peters), Springer, Berlin, Germany, January 2010 (book)

Abstract
From an engineering standpoint, the increasing complexity of robotic systems and the increasing demand for more autonomously learning robots, has become essential. This book is largely based on the successful workshop "From motor to interaction learning in robots" held at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robot Systems. The major aim of the book is to give students interested the topics described above a chance to get started faster and researchers a helpful compandium.

ei

Web DOI [BibTex]

Web DOI [BibTex]


no image
Finding Gene-Gene Interactions using Support Vector Machines

Rakitsch, B.

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, 2010 (diplomathesis)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


no image
Detecting the mincut in sparse random graphs

Köhler, R.

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, 2010 (diplomathesis)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


no image
Handbook of Hydrogen Storage

Hirscher, M.

pages: 353 p., Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2010 (book)

mms

[BibTex]

[BibTex]

2009


no image
Motor Control and Learning in Table Tennis

Mülling, K.

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Gerrmany, 2009 (diplomathesis)

ei

[BibTex]

2009


[BibTex]


no image
Hierarchical Clustering and Density Estimation Based on k-nearest-neighbor graphs

Drewe, P.

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, 2009 (diplomathesis)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]

2008


no image
Reinforcement Learning for Motor Primitives

Kober, J.

Biologische Kybernetik, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany, August 2008 (diplomathesis)

ei

PDF [BibTex]

2008


PDF [BibTex]


no image
Asymmetries of Time Series under Inverting their Direction

Peters, J.

Biologische Kybernetik, University of Heidelberg, August 2008 (diplomathesis)

ei

PDF [BibTex]

PDF [BibTex]


no image
CogRob 2008: The 6th International Cognitive Robotics Workshop

Lespérance, Y., Lakemeyer, G., Peters, J., Pirri, F.

Proceedings of the 6th International Cognitive Robotics Workshop (CogRob 2008), pages: 35, Patras University Press, Patras, Greece, 6th International Cognitive Robotics Workshop (CogRob), July 2008 (proceedings)

ei

Web [BibTex]

Web [BibTex]


no image
Pairwise Correlations and Multineuronal Firing Patterns in Primary Visual Cortex

Berens, P.

Biologische Kybernetik, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany, April 2008 (diplomathesis)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


no image
Development and Application of a Python Scripting Framework for BCI2000

Schreiner, T.

Biologische Kybernetik, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany, January 2008 (diplomathesis)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]

2007


no image
Statistical Learning Theory Approaches to Clustering

Jegelka, S.

Biologische Kybernetik, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany, November 2007 (diplomathesis)

ei

PDF [BibTex]

2007


PDF [BibTex]


no image
Predicting Structured Data

Bakir, G., Hofmann, T., Schölkopf, B., Smola, A., Taskar, B., Vishwanathan, S.

pages: 360, Advances in neural information processing systems, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, September 2007 (book)

Abstract
Machine learning develops intelligent computer systems that are able to generalize from previously seen examples. A new domain of machine learning, in which the prediction must satisfy the additional constraints found in structured data, poses one of machine learning’s greatest challenges: learning functional dependencies between arbitrary input and output domains. This volume presents and analyzes the state of the art in machine learning algorithms and theory in this novel field. The contributors discuss applications as diverse as machine translation, document markup, computational biology, and information extraction, among others, providing a timely overview of an exciting field.

ei

Web [BibTex]

Web [BibTex]


no image
Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems 19: Proceedings of the 2006 Conference

Schölkopf, B., Platt, J., Hofmann, T.

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS 2006), pages: 1690, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, 20th Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS), September 2007 (proceedings)

Abstract
The annual Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS) conference is the flagship meeting on neural computation and machine learning. It draws a diverse group of attendees--physicists, neuroscientists, mathematicians, statisticians, and computer scientists--interested in theoretical and applied aspects of modeling, simulating, and building neural-like or intelligent systems. The presentations are interdisciplinary, with contributions in algorithms, learning theory, cognitive science, neuroscience, brain imaging, vision, speech and signal processing, reinforcement learning, and applications. Only twenty-five percent of the papers submitted are accepted for presentation at NIPS, so the quality is exceptionally high. This volume contains the papers presented at the December 2006 meeting, held in Vancouver.

ei

Web [BibTex]

Web [BibTex]


no image
Error Correcting Codes for the P300 Visual Speller

Biessmann, F.

Biologische Kybernetik, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany, July 2007 (diplomathesis)

Abstract
The aim of brain-computer interface (BCI) research is to establish a communication system based on intentional modulation of brain activity. This is accomplished by classifying patterns of brain ac- tivity, volitionally induced by the user. The BCI presented in this study is based on a classical paradigm as proposed by (Farwell and Donchin, 1988), the P300 visual speller. Recording electroencephalo- grams (EEG) from the scalp while presenting letters successively to the user, the speller can infer from the brain signal which letter the user was focussing on. Since EEG recordings are noisy, usually many repetitions are needed to detect the correct letter. The focus of this study was to improve the accuracy of the visual speller applying some basic principles from information theory: Stimulus sequences of the speller have been modified into error-correcting codes. Additionally a language model was incorporated into the probabilistic letter de- coder. Classification of single EEG epochs was less accurate using error correcting codes. However, the novel code could compensate for that such that overall, letter accuracies were as high as or even higher than for classical stimulus codes. In particular at high noise levels, error-correcting decoding achieved higher letter accuracies.

ei

PDF [BibTex]

PDF [BibTex]