Danny Plass-Oude Bos, MSc

Contact

Phone +31 53 489 3194
Fax +31 53 489 3503

Check out my research blog: braingaming.wordpress.com.

Visiting Address

Room 2037
Zilverling (building 11)
University of Twente
Enschede

Postal Address

University of Twente
Faculty of EEMCS
Human Media Interaction Group
Danny Oude Bos
P.O. Box 217
7500 AE Enschede
The Netherlands

About

In 2006 I expanded my computer science education with courses on neurophysiology. My internship was at the University of Nijmegen, where I implemented physiological artifact detection in an online EEG-based brain-computer interface (BCI) system. In 2008 I obtained my master title in Computer Science (Human-Computer Interaction) on BrainBasher, looking into the user experience of using BCI for games. At the moment I am a PhD student at the University of Twente, still attempting to merge BCI with HCI by researching how BCI can be made a more intuitive means of interaction.

I am involved in BrainGain, and part of the CTIT SRO NICE.

My advisors:
Dr. Mannes Poel,
Prof. Anton Nijholt

Upcoming

Apr 10 - 15, 2010
CHI2010
Brain Body Bytes

Jul 12 - Aug 8, 2010
eNTERFACE'10 Looking around in a virtual world

Sept, 2010
PhD for 2 years :D

Nov, 2010
BrainGain meeting

Past

Nov, 2009
BrainGain meeting

Nov, 2009
alphaWoW @ TEDxAMS

Sep 9 - 12, 2009
aBCI, ACII

Jul 13 - Aug 7, 2009
eNTERFACE'09
Bacteria Hunt

Jun 22 - 24, 2009
Intetain

Research

Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) use recorded brain activity as a control signal. While most research in the past has focused on severely disabled users, this research focuses on the general population by combining it with games. We need to apply the knowledge we already have from HCI to BCI. To not just look at detection performance, but also on usability and user experience.

BrainBasher is a game played with imaginary movement. The experience and performance with a clinical look was compared to a playful look. Bram van de Laar continued the research, comparing actual and imaginary movement.

AlphaWoW

AlphaWoW shows how you can control a character in the popular video game World of Warcraft, with your brain. You play a druid. Druids can change into animals. In your human (elf) form you are very good at casting spells, but you are also physically weak. When you change into a bear you are strong and very good at close combat with your sharp claws and teeth. Your brain activity is analysed for alpha activity (in the frequency band of 8-12Hz), which is related to relaxed alertness. When you are stressed you change into a bear, and when you relax you revert to your human form. Each form comes with its own game-play.

IntuiWoW At the moment I'm processing data of a set of experiments I did in 2009. This research is about user-centered design of BCI paradigms, and again evaluating them not just based on detection performance, but also on usability and user experience. More information will be provided when the results have been written down in articles.

Press

Wens
UT Nieuws, Dec 3 2009.

Danny Plass and Bram van de Laar on Alpha World of Warcraft
TEDx Amsterdam Demo Video, 20 Nov 2009.

Alweer een innovatie op het gebied van gamen
Vara ConsumentenTV24, 5 June 2009.

Reportage: computerspel bestuurd door emoties
Radio 5: TELEAC Hoe?Zo!, 4 June 2009.

Actueel: met je humeur een computergame besturen
Radio 5: TELEAC Hoe?Zo!, 28 May 2009.

Using your mood to operate a computer game
PhysOrg.com, May 28 2009.

Gamen met je hersenen
UT Nieuws, May 28 2009.

Met gedachten computer besturen
Telegraaf, May 16 2009.

Teaching

If you're a student and interested in doing something with brain-computer interaction, feel free to contact us! There are numerous options: design project, bachelor referaat, art and mediatechnology, HMI seminar, HMI project, capita selecta, final project (thesis).

2010

HMI Seminar on Brain-Computer Interaction -- this year we will go a bit more practical!

Graduation committee of Gido Hakvoort
Effects of different control paradigms on BCI subjects

Graduation committee of Michel Obbink
User interaction in a BCI environment

2009

Bachelor Referaat BCI Track: R. van den Berg, E.R.G. van der Veen, C.A. van Hemert

HMI Seminar on Brain-Computer Interaction

Art and Mediatechnology

2008

Graduation committee of Bram van de Laar
Imaginary and actual movements in brain-computer interaction

Publications

This is just a selection.
Check the full list at e-prints.

Internal Documents

Awards

  • Eniac Scriptieprijs 2009 Nomination - 4th place
  • Best Demonstration Award at BrainGain Consortium 2009
    AlphaWoW
    With: Van de Laar, B.L.A.
  • Best Demonstration Award at BrainGain Consortium 2008
    BrainBasher
    With: Reuderink, B.
  • GALA Public and Jury Awards at IVA 2007, Paris
    Trackside DEIRA
    With: Knoppel, F. and Tigelaar, A. and Alofs, T.

Collegues

Boris Reuderink
researches BCI in the context for games, with as goal to take the BCI from the lab into the real world
Christian Muehl
works on recognizing affect from EEG and physiological sensors for affective computing
Hayrettin Gurkok
conducts research on multimodality and realistic settings for BCIs
Bram van de Laar
is working on a virtual bicycle trainer who uses information from brain signals

Links

General

tWikis

Showcases

up-close and personal

BCI? BCI is a very innovative field, which requires the integration of many different fields of research. I love this variety :D. The job of a PhD student is also very diverse, and you have a lot of freedom, so it is easy to stay motivated.

Love? In June 2009 I got married to Martijn Plass <3. Then we had already been together for almost 7.5 years (since 2002), so it was about time ;) Martijn is a game designer who started his own company, Catnip Games.

Hobbies? I'm easily enthusiastic about many things. Here are a few of my hobbies: playing games, running, yoga, sewing, veg gardening, drawing, reading, ...