High-frequency SSVEP–BCI with less flickering sensation using personalization of stimulus frequency

The problem of brain–computer interface (BCI) using steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) is a flickering sensation caused by the flashing stimuli used to induce SSVEP. To use of high-frequency flashing stimuli is one of the countermeasures of this problem. This study focused on the relationship between the magnitude of SSVEP components for each subject and proposed a high-frequency (56–70 Hz) SSVEP–BCI that uses only the frequencies at which SSVEP induction was confirmed. For comparison, the accuracy of SSVEP–BCI using learning CCA (LCCA), an extension of canonical correlation analysis (CCA), was 98.61% for the low-frequency (26–40 Hz) SSVEP–BCI for comparison, 62.78% for the high frequency (56–70 Hz) SSVEP–BCI, and 87.19% for the high frequency (56–70 Hz) SSVEP–BCI with personalized stimulus frequency. As a result of comparing with and without personalization using information transfer rate (ITR), non-personalized (normal) and personalized high-frequency SSVEP–BCI ITR were 24.25 bits/min and 29.64 bits/min.