Electroencephalography biometric authentication using eye blink artifacts

Abstract

This study presents a novel approach to electroencephalography (EEG) biometric authentication using eye blink artifacts. Unlike traditional methods that rely on imagination and mental tasks, which are susceptible to emotional and physical variations, this approach leverages the consistent effects of eye blinks on brainwaves for authentication. Brainwaves were recorded using the NeuroSky Mindwave Mobile 2 headset, and eye blinks were extracted via NeuroSky’s blink detection algorithm. An authentication algorithm was developed based on blink strength, time, and frequency. The proposed method demonstrated high performance with an accuracy (ACC) of 97%, a false acceptance rate (FAR) of 5%, and a false rejection rate (FRR) of 1%. This study also explored the impact of emotions and physical exercise on the authentication process, confirming the method's robustness under varying conditions. These findings suggest that eye blink artifacts offer a reliable and practical biometric trait for EEG-based authentication systems, providing a secure alternative to traditional biometric methods. The substantial contribution of this research lies in demonstrating the superior stability and usability of eye blink-based EEG authentication under diverse conditions, compared to existing EEG authentication methods that often require mental tasks or multi-channel recordings.