SBIR Phase II: Ai-mediated Neurotechnology for Enhanced Access to Virtual and Physical Reality

Award ID: 2545788

The broader commercial impact of this SBIR Phase II project is to develop an artificial intelligence middleware layer that transforms minimal biosignals into context-aware, multi-step actions, enabling users to complete full activities of daily living. This innovation advances scientific understanding of intent-based human computer interaction while addressing a critical gap in the technology market. The middleware architecture provides a competitive advantage by offering device manufacturers a standardized, interoperable solution that reduces in-house engineering costs and accelerates deployment, allowing firms to concentrate on core hardware innovation. This commercialization strategy leverages runtime licensing to original equipment manufacturers, supporting rapid adoption through existing distribution channels and alignment with responsible AI deployment practices. Initial deployments target specific manufacturers serving research and clinical institutions. This SBIR Phase II project addresses the fundamental bandwidth mismatch between low-dimensional biosignal inputs and complex control demands. Current brain computer interface and electromyographic systems typically provide only two to ten bits per second of control information, which is insufficient for precise task execution. Building on Phase I results, the project advances a modular artificial intelligence middleware architecture that bridges this intent-to-action gap by augmenting sparse biosignals with task-relevant contextual information. The platform introduces three core technical innovations: real-time affordance prediction that infers contextually appropriate actions from video and gaze data, hierarchical action decomposition that maps simple user inputs to multi-step behavioral sequences, and adaptive user modeling that personalizes control strategies through reinforcement learning. Technical development targets sub five hundred millisecond end-to-end latency, intent prediction accuracy of at least eighty five percent, and seamless interoperability across heterogeneous hardware platforms. The system employs edge computing for latency-sensitive inference with cloud-based resources supporting model updates and continuous improvement. Anticipated outcomes include standardized integration protocols for biosignal acquisition systems, validated performance benchmarks, and live demonstrations of the middleware controlling robotic end effectors. Collectively, this work establishes foundational principles for amplifying sparse biological control signals into functionally complete behaviors, advancing both the scientific understanding and practical deployment of next-generation human machine interfaces. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Lindsay Portnoy