BRAVE: Brain-Controlled Prosthetic Arm with Voice Integration and Embodied Learning for Enhanced Mobility

TL;DR

BRAVE is a hybrid EEG and voice-controlled prosthetic system that uses ensemble learning and human-in-the-loop correction to improve real-time, non-invasive brain-controlled prosthetic arm functionality with high accuracy and responsiveness.

Contribution

This work introduces BRAVE, a novel hybrid EEG-voice system combining ensemble learning and HITL correction for improved prosthetic control without muscle activity reliance.

Findings

Achieved 96% classification accuracy across test subjects.

Operates with a 150 ms response latency in real-time.

Demonstrated robustness and generalizability across users.

Abstract

Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have the potential to enable intuitive control of prosthetic limbs for individuals with upper limb amputations. However, existing EEG-based control systems face challenges related to signal noise, classification accuracy, and real-time adaptability. In this work, we present BRAVE, a hybrid EEG and voice-controlled prosthetic system that integrates ensemble learning-based EEG classification with a human-in-the-loop (HITL) correction framework for enhanced responsiveness. Unlike traditional electromyography (EMG)-based prosthetic control, BRAVE aims to interpret EEG-driven motor intent, enabling movement control without reliance on residual muscle activity. To improve classification robustness, BRAVE combines LSTM, CNN, and Random Forest models in an ensemble framework, achieving a classification accuracy of 96% across test subjects. EEG signals are preprocessed using a bandpass filter (0.5-45 Hz), Independent Component Analysis (ICA) for artifact removal, and Common Spatial Pattern (CSP) feature extraction to minimize contamination from electromyographic (EMG) and electrooculographic (EOG) signals. Additionally, BRAVE incorporates automatic speech recognition (ASR) to facilitate intuitive mode switching between different degrees of freedom (DOF) in the prosthetic arm. The system operates in real time, with a response latency of 150 ms, leveraging Lab Streaming Layer (LSL) networking for synchronized data acquisition. The system is evaluated on an in-house fabricated prosthetic arm and on multiple participants highlighting the generalizability across users. The system is optimized for low-power embedded deployment, ensuring practical real-world application beyond high-performance computing environments. Our results indicate that BRAVE offers a promising step towards robust, real-time, non-invasive prosthetic control.