Using Experimental Filmmaking to Create an Engaging Brain-Computer Interface

Inspired by storytelling ideas in surrealist creative productions and experimental films, we created a brain-computer interface (BCI) designed to offer users an exercise of the imagination. While many previous BCIs have used simple visual interfaces, we wanted to understand if an open-ended, story-based BCI experience could be helpful for allowing users to effectively interact with the story using their brain activity. We employed experimental storytelling techniques to prompt users to explore new thought patterns and ideas for changing brain activity. In our BCI, users were able to change the color of the main character in the story using their thoughts. We found that many users were able to change brain activity and enjoyed the BCI experience, while others were primarily frustrated. Based on our results, we offer ideas for future contributions to the development of engaging, story-based BCI applications.