Thursday, February 16, 2012

Emotiv Systems

Emotiv Systems is an Australian1 electronics aggregation developing brain–computer interfaces based on electroencephalography (EEG) technology. The aggregation was founded in 2003 by four scientists and executives: neuroscientist Professor Allan Snyder, chip-designer Neil Weste,2 and technology entrepreneurs Tan Le (B. Comm. in 1998 from Monash University)3 and Nam Do.4

Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is Geoffrey MacKellar.5

Emotiv EPOC

The EPOC has 14 electrodes910 (compared to the 19 electrodes of a accepted medical EEG, and the 3 of OCZ's NIA appearance and a assorted of NeuroSky's individual electrode). It aswell has a two-axis gyro for barometer arch rotation.

The angle have to aboriginal be "trained" to admit what affectionate of neural action equates to a specific actual action. It can admeasurement four categories of inputs, but some users say it mainly measures facial expressions:11

Conscious thoughts (Cognitiv suite): Imagining 12 kinds of movement- those were in the audience appliance 6 admonition (left, right, up, down, forward, and "zoom") and 6 rotations (anti-clockwise rotation, about-face larboard and right, and amplitude astern and forward)- additional 1 added decision ("disappear") that can be detected in µ rhythms. While the accepted disciplinarian may alone be able to accept for any 4 of these at a time, the degrees of abandon are beyond than a joystick's 2 df. Ideomotor responses 12 or the abundant stronger EMG currents aside, these anticipation Because of the circuitous apprehension algorithms involved, there is a slight lag in audition thoughts.13 However, the technology may still be advantageous in a abutment role like calling up a minimap or alarm in a FPS game.

Emotions (Affectiv suite): "Excitement", "Engagement/Boredom", "Meditation", and "Frustration" can currently be measured. Emotiv admits that the names may not altogether reflect absolutely what the affect is, and says that they may be renamed afore bazaar launch.

Facial expressions (Expressiv suite): Individual eyelid and countenance positions, eye position in the accumbent plane, smiling, laughing, clenching, and smirking can currently be detected. Added expressions may be added above-mentioned to release. The expressions are detected by the EEG sensors acrimonious up signals to facial muscles, rather than by account brainwaves. Unlike account brainy activity, these detections are actual fast (10ms)14 carrying a absolute advantage and apprehension them acceptable for fast paced amateur in the FPS genre.

Arch rotatEmotiv System's alone accepted artefact is the Emotiv EPOC, a $300 borderline for gaming on Windows PCs. The accessory is accessible on their official website with a amount tag of US$299.6 Emotiv Systems claims the angle will accomplish it accessible for amateur to be controlled and afflicted by the player's mind, and facial expressions. It connects wirelessly with the PC, and may in the approaching plan on added bold platforms such as consoles. The Epoc was advised by a Emotiv Systems in affiliation with the Sydney based Industrial Design consultancy 4design.78 For affinity with non-compliant software EmoKey would be provided in adjustment to bind commands to keys or combinations thereof transforming the accessory into an HID.on: The angular acceleration of one's arch can be abstinent in the yaw and angle (but not roll) directions. This is detected by gyros, and isn't accompanying to the EEG features.

EPOC can be acclimated to get EEG abstracts (the raw electricity measurements), with the Python Emokit15 after the charge for EPOC's proprietary software, Research, Research Additional or Enterprise Additional SDK licenses ($750, $2,500 and $7,500 respectively).16

Inputs

The EPOC has 14 electrodes910 (compared to the 19 electrodes of a accepted medical EEG, and the 3 of OCZ's NIA appearance and a assorted of NeuroSky's individual electrode). It aswell has a two-axis gyro for barometer arch rotation.

The angle have to aboriginal be "trained" to admit what affectionate of neural action equates to a specific actual action. It can admeasurement four categories of inputs, but some users say it mainly measures facial expressions:11

Conscious thoughts (Cognitiv suite): Imagining 12 kinds of movement- those were in the audience appliance 6 admonition (left, right, up, down, forward, and "zoom") and 6 rotations (anti-clockwise rotation, about-face larboard and right, and amplitude astern and forward)- additional 1 added decision ("disappear") that can be detected in µ rhythms. While the accepted disciplinarian may alone be able to accept for any 4 of these at a time, the degrees of abandon are beyond than a joystick's 2 df. Ideomotor responses 12 or the abundant stronger EMG currents aside, these anticipation Because of the circuitous apprehension algorithms involved, there is a slight lag in audition thoughts.13 However, the technology may still be advantageous in a abutment role like calling up a minimap or alarm in a FPS game.

Emotions (Affectiv suite): "Excitement", "Engagement/Boredom", "Meditation", and "Frustration" can currently be measured. Emotiv admits that the names may not altogether reflect absolutely what the affect is, and says that they may be renamed afore bazaar launch.

Facial expressions (Expressiv suite): Individual eyelid and countenance positions, eye position in the accumbent plane, smiling, laughing, clenching, and smirking can currently be detected. Added expressions may be added above-mentioned to release. The expressions are detected by the EEG sensors acrimonious up signals to facial muscles, rather than by account brainwaves. Unlike account brainy activity, these detections are actual fast (10ms)14 carrying a absolute advantage and apprehension them acceptable for fast paced amateur in the FPS genre.

Arch rotation: The angular acceleration of one's arch can be abstinent in the yaw and angle (but not roll) directions. This is detected by gyros, and isn't accompanying to the EEG features.

EPOC can be acclimated to get EEG abstracts (the raw electricity measurements), with the Python Emokit15 after the charge for EPOC's proprietary software, Research, Research Additional or Enterprise Additional SDK licenses ($750, $2,500 and $7,500 respectively).16

Software

The Emotiv EPOC will address with a bold by Demiurge Studios, ahead alleged "The Game", congenital on the Unity3D. Videos of portions of the bold accept been apparent at conferences and in media interviews. The bold involves a aboriginal being appearance of the user walking about a basic environment, with abounding altered activities at altered locations. The sky changes blush according to the affection of the player. Demonstrated activities in the bold cover blame and alternating behemothic bedrock structures into the appearance of bedrock henge, again adopting a temple from beneath the ground; levitating a ample bedrock and some abate ones; acclimation a bridge; angle a tree; and alarming abroad aglow alcohol with alarming facial expressions.

The EPOC aswell includes "EmoKey" software acclimated to challenge keystrokes based on combinations of thoughts, feelings, and facial expressions. Any EPOC apprehension can be commutual with keystrokes or cord of keystrokes through a simple user interface by the end user. Future versions will aswell challenge the abrasion based on the gyros. This software allows a lot of absolute games, burning messaging programs, and added software to be controlled with the headset.

There is aswell a planned web website accepted as "Emortal", for alert to music, examination photos, and added activities, adapted based on what the user is cerebration and feeling.

Another artefact is the Emotiv Control Panel, aswell apparent in abounding videos, which allows users to alternation the assorted thoughts, such as "push" and "disappear", and analysis them on a floating, bobbing, cube. It aswell allows users to appearance their affecting state, such as "excitement", on a graph. It has a 2D dejected avatar that allows the user to appearance their own facial expressions, and acclimatize the acuteness of those detections.

SDK

The aggregation provides several software development kits,16 which includes a headset, applications and libraries acclimated for interfacing with the headset, with capricious limitations and pricing.

A chargeless of allegation SDK (called SDK Lite) is aswell accessible for download from the Emotiv website18. It includes software to challenge the Emotiv EPOC achievement for developers who do not accept one of the headsets.

The SDKs currently alone abutment Microsoft Windows, but a Linux-version is in development.19

Emokit is an open-source and cross-platform Python library for account out sensor abstracts from the EPOC by Cody Brocious. It was congenital by reverse-engineering the encrypted protocol.15

Marketing

At the Bold Developers Appointment 2008, in San Francisco an Emotiv angle was a part of the new video bold ascribe accessories there. The audience played with the Emotiv was a addle area the amateur rebuilds Stonehenge. To do so, the wearer did duke motions such as blame and affairs to restore Stonehenge.20

In July 2010, Tan Le gave a audience of the angle at a TED conference.21

Competitors

For a allegory with added aggressive devices, see Allegory of customer brain–computer interfaces.