Comparison of plain and checkerboard stimuli for brain computer interfaces based on steady state visual evoked potentials

A steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) is a neural response observed in the visual cortex evoked by repetitive visual stimulation. In an SSVEP-based brain-computer interface (BCI) application various visual stimuli that induce SSVEPs at different frequencies are associated with distinct commands; a user activates a particular command by focusing on the targeted stimulus. The pattern of these visual stimuli is one of the properties that affects the accuracy of SSVEP detection. This work thus compares the two most common types of stimuli, which are the plain and checkerboard stimuli, for BCI systems. Results showed a statistically significant 9.26% average increase in SSVEP classification when using a plain stimulus over a checkerboard stimulus.