Brain-Computer Interface Software Ecology: Open-Source Tools, Cross-Domain Applications, and Future Challenges
Open-source software platforms have revolutionized brain-computer interface (BCI) development. This comprehensive review examines the ecosystem for non-invasive EEG-based BCIs through four dimensions: technological foundations, tool taxonomy, scenario adaptation, and future evolution. The study demonstrates how open-source software enables complete BCI workflows from signal acquisition to real-time interaction. A systematic framework categorizes tools for applications in healthcare, education, and entertainment. Technical challenges and breakthrough opportunities in the ecosystem are identified. The study offers developers methodologies to select open-source BCI tools. Collectively, these insights aim to accelerate the transition of BCI technologies from research settings to real-world deployment.
Authors
- Wenlong Jiao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0221-163X)
- Wen Dong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5223-3699)
- Suhan Cui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3932-6993)
- Dingna Duan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2678-9789)
- WU Zhen-zhen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4916-2521)
- Tzyy‐Ping Jung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8377-2166)
- Xianglong Wan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8094-2863)
- Xueguang Xie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1660-5691)
- Tiange Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4512-937X)
Institutions
- University of California San Diego (US)
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CN)
- Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACM Computing Surveys
- Published
- 2026-09-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1145/3833873
- Primary Topic
- EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00