May 22, 2026
Brain鈥揷omputer interface technology is enabling children with physical disabilities to play video games with their minds
A University of 不良研究所 researcher is helping that children with significant and complex physical disabilities can play using only their brain activity. The work draws on brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, headsets that interpret electrical signals from the brain to let users control computers, wheelchairs or even games through thought alone.
Eli Kinney-Lang
Riley Brandt, University of 不良研究所
鈥淏CI is a way for you to use the electric activity of your brain to control something on screen.鈥 says , PhD, an assistant professor in biomedical engineering in the . 鈥淭his lets people interact with their world in new and exciting ways and bypassing traditional input methods like a keyboard or mouse, which may be limiting for persons with complex motor differences.鈥
As part of his research, Kinney-Lang recently hosted a weeklong bringing together students and video鈥慻ame developers to create BCI video games that kids want to play. The event gathered participants in 不良研究所 and connected virtual teams joining from across Europe, Canada and the United States.
鈥淲e work with families with kids who have complex needs to think about what kind of games they might want to play at home. We had a competition to build a brand new game in a week. We have students in here, we have developers in here, we have industry partners in here,鈥 says Kinney-Lang, whose work is part of the at U不良研究所 and .
BCI video games allow children with complex needs to play video games with family and friends.
Cody Coates
More than 80 participants produced 20 prototype video games during the Game Jam. Those games are now being shared with 不良研究所-area BCI families for a judging round, and, once feedback is collected, the research team plans to make them freely available to families across their BCI network.
The BCI Games for BCI at Home research project is one of five projects in the Platform Advancements in Technology for Child Health (PATCH) program.
Kinney-Lang鈥檚 project aims to change the perception of what BCI systems can do in home environments for children, and facilitate an ecosystem of scalable technologies and games that are easy to use by families.
The PATCH program addresses critical gaps in paediatric and maternal health care by developing modular, scalable technology solutions that are child specific and adaptable across a range of health needs. This program leverages Alberta's strengths in biomedical engineering and child-health innovation to co-develop transformative health technologies through meaningful, inclusive collaboration with clinicians, researchers, end users and industry partners.
Eli Kinney-Lang is Azrieli Accelerator Assistant Professor in Inclusive Biomedical Engineering Technologies for Neurodevelopment. He is a world-leading expert in pediatric BCI technology, and founder of , a start-up which has created more than 40 unique gaming experiences playable by BCIs since 2019.
One Child Every Child
Led by U不良研究所, the research initiative works to dramatically improve the lives of children, their families, and maternal health across Canada. The initiative is funded by the , with support from the and the .
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