Opening up new dimensions of Interaction

Intriguing research has been done to better understand our brain, and directly have it interface with computers. However, most students, researchers, developers or creative minds did not have access to the knowledge we have built up as humanity, because it has not been productised.

We are bundling our knowledge, that we gained in helping locked-in patients, in an affordable development kit: allowing anyone with basic development skills to build their own BCI-application, and do further research into its uses for our common future. We are truly opening up new dimensions of interaction.

BUILD YOUR OWN BCI

You can now make your own Brain Computer Interface (BCI) application that is reliable, fast and requires no training.

PRODUCT

With our solution, one wears a headset that measures electrical brain activity. Through visually directing one’s attention at specifically designed stimulus, such as the special keyboard in the video-clip, the BCI matches the brain signals with the stimulus. This allows you to spell letter by letter with your brain. This method is fast, reliable and requires no training.

Advantages

  • Fast: detection in ~2 second
  • Reliable: 95% accuracy
  • Easy: no training necessary
  • Robust: insensitive to movement artifacts
  • Flexible: can combine on-screen and physical objects

DEVELOPMENT-KIT

Our patented BCI technology is easy to integrate with other technologies making it suitable for a range of applications that may benefit both patients and caretakers, but can also entertain a broader public, with the amazing possibilities we are developing. Check out our Labs page to get an idea of the possibilities.

We have just had a successful KickStarter campaign. We are currently contemplating how we can translate this experience into a good proposition once the COVID-19 crisis is over.

 

Locked-in syndrome

Many locked-in patients are unable to interact with their surroundings or communicate with their loved ones, as they have lost the ability to control their muscles including facial and vocal muscles. Being locked-in means that a patient is quadriplegic, and completely unable to move but mentally fully alert. Locked-in can be caused by ALS, trauma, brainstem stroke or acute muscle disorders.

For locked-in patients who dislike or are unable to use eye-tracking, our technology may provide a way to interact with their surroundings. Currently, we have a number of prototypes in the field and are working towards the availability of supported version in the near future.

Team

Ivo de la Rive Box

CEO

Peter Desain

CSO

Jason Farquhar

System architect

Daniëlle Tump

Product Manager

Jop van Heesch

Software engineer

Khash Sharif

Software Engineer

Jordy Thielen

Researcher

Careers

We currently don’t have any open positions but will publish them here if we do. If you think we should talk anyway, please feel free to contact us at info@mindaffect.nl

About Us

Mission

We want to open up new dimensions of interaction through the development of a Brain Computer Interface (BCI).

What is MindAffect?

Our team works on the cutting-edge of artificial intelligence and neuroscience. We have developed a BCI and demonstrated that it allows locked-in patients to interact or communicate by controlling a computer with brain signals. MindAffect was spun-out of the renowned Donders Institute as a start-up in September 2017.

Who is it for?

Based on the proven use-case of helping a locked-in patient, we are on the verge of opening up our BCI through a Development Kit, consisting of hardware and a SDK, so third parties can integrate it in their solutions.

Where is it going?

That may depend on you, and your willingness to start your learning curve of what a BCI could do for you, your business or humanity. If you want to get a taste of what we are experimenting with, check out our Labs page.

Scientific Advisory Board

University of Vienna

Research Group Neuroinformatics / Faculty of Computer Science

Prof. Moritz Grosse-Wentrup

Inria Bordeaux Sud-Ouest

BCI Research Scientist

Fabien Lotte, Ph.D.

Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

Institute of Global Innovation Research

Toshihisa Tanaka, Ph.D.

National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies

Research Scientist

Theresa Vaughan, B.A.

Partners

Donders Institute

The Donders Institute is part of the Radboud University Nijmegen in The Netherlands. It has undertaken the research in the areas of neuroscience and artificial intelligence that has formed the basis of MindAffect.

NLC

NLC is a healthtech venture builder based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It has validated the market for MindAffect.

ALS Associations

ALS foundations worldwide are fighting ALS on every front. They support MindAffect in its efforts to help ALS patients in a locked-in state to communicate.

EIT Health

EIT Health Accelerator is a business creation programme, set up to support the best and brightest health industry entrepreneurs. EIT Health is supported by EIT, a body of the European Union.

Province of Gelderland

We thank the Province of Gelderland for its generous support of our venture