Unobtrusive EEG measures of an oddball paradigm in flight simulator and real flight conditions: A case study

Piloting aircraft is a demanding task in a dynamic, uncertain environment 1. Attention distribution is a key issue for piloting, relying on a tradeoff between focused and divided attention (i.e., avoiding distraction or detecting changes). Their homeostasis may be dismissed when demand exceeds mental capacity, canceling out the processing of incoming stimuli (e.g. auditory alarms). For instance, accidents analyses disclosed evidences of inattentional deafness in which pilots failed to respond to critical auditory warnings. Experiments in flight simulators [2] and real-flight conditions [3] demonstrated the possibility of implementing an electro-encephalography (EEG)-based brain-computer interface to detect and predict the likelihood of this phenomenon. Yet, these experiments used bulky systems uncomfortable to wear over long periods of time. New portable EEG systems offer a promising avenue for implementing neuroadaptive technologies in real world settings [3]. To benchmark these systems under ecological settings, we conducted a study in simulated and real flight conditions while recording the participant’s brain activity with the cEEGrid system (TMSi, Oldenzaal, Netherlands [4]).