BMI CyberWorkstation: A cyberinfrastructure for collaborative experimental research on Brain-Machine Interfaces

This paper describes the design and implementation of an improved version (2.0) of a computational cyberinfrastructure for neuroscience research, called CyberWorkstation (CW). CW can provide to neurophysiology laboratories the following: (1) data storage for large volumes of neural signals, experimental parameters and computational results, (2) integration of necessary experimental equipment, powerful computational resources and robust software mechanisms that enable users to conduct online and offline BMI experiments, (3) a Web-based interface that permits users to conveniently setup, monitor and review their experiments and collaborate with others in analyzing and developing their research findings. The capabilities of the CW in enabling collaborative BMI research are demonstrated using forward models based on neural networks that predict positions of an agent in 2D movement control.