Intention-prioritized fuzzy fusion control for BCI-based autonomous vehicles

A brain-controlled vehicle (BCV) is a vehicle that uses the Brain–Computer interface (BCI) to analyze the driver’s electroencephalogram (EEG) to obtain human control commands, which can help disabled people extend movement range and improve their self-independence. However, the performance of BCV is poor and the accuracy of BCI recognition varies considerably with different subjects, which severely restrict its promotion and application. To develop a better solution, with the concept of shared control, an intention preferenced fusion brain control strategy based on fuzzy logic is proposed. Firstly, based on Fuzzy Discrete Event System Supervision (FDES) theory, instructions of the driver are supervised and evaluated. At the same time, based on fuzzy logic an automatic controller which gives an automatic decision according to the cur-rent state of the vehicle is designed. Then according to the automatic decision and the correctness of the driver’s instructions, a fuzzy reasoning is made, making the final decision more in line with human intentions. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, based on our previously-designed SSMVEP platform, we conduct virtual experiments, semi-object tests and full physical tests separately for verification. Compared with others shared control schemes, it not only achieves continuous control, but the final control-making is more in line with human intentions, which can encourage users to become more involved, enhancing their self-esteem and brain functions.