AUTHOR=Tarara Paulina , Przybył Iwona , Schöning Julius , Gunia Artur 

TITLE=Motor imagery-based brain-computer interfaces: an exploration of multiclass motor imagery-based control for Emotiv EPOC X

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroinformatics

VOLUME=Volume 19 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroinformatics/articles/10.3389/fninf.2025.1625279

DOI=10.3389/fninf.2025.1625279

ISSN=1662-5196

ABSTRACT=IntroductionEnhancing the command capacity of motor imagery (MI)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) remains a significant challenge in neuroinformatics, especially for real-world assistive applications. This study explores a multiclass BCI system designed to classify multiple MI tasks using a low-cost EEG device.MethodsA BCI system was developed to classify six mental states: resting state, left and right hand movement imagery, tongue movement, and left and right lateral bending, using EEG data collected with the Emotiv EPOC X headset. Seven participants underwent a body awareness training protocol integrating mindfulness and physical exercises to improve MI performance. Machine learning techniques were applied to extract discriminative features from the EEG signals.ResultsPost-training assessments indicated modest improvements in participants' MI proficiency. However, classification performance was limited due to inter- and intra-subject signal variability and the technical constraints of the consumer-grade EEG hardware.DiscussionThese findings highlight the value of combining user training with MI-based BCIs and the need to optimize signal quality for reliable performance. The results support the feasibility of scalable, multiclass MI paradigms in low-cost, user-centered neurotechnology applications, while pointing to critical areas for future system enhancement.