PiEEG is an innovative device developed by Imperial College London researcher Ildar Rakhmatulin. It is a plugin for the Raspberry Pi that allows the conversion of a single computer board into a brain-computer interface.
With PiEEG, users can control robots and mechanical limbs using only your thoughts, while measuring electrical activity in your brain.
Rakhmatulin recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for PiEEG, a system that can be adapted to the Raspberry Pi. With this device, the plate becomes a brain-computer interface, like other electroencephalography (EEG) devices capable of measuring electrical activity in the brain. According to the researcher, PiEEG is the perfect device for machine learning enthusiasts, who are looking to create projects with the power of thought, sleep control, meditation control, such as lie detectoramong others.
Rakhmatulin started the project because of the growing popularity neuroscience has gained in recent years. He explains that with the rise of machine learning and data science, working with real-time biological data to assess a person’s state and intentions has become very exciting. However, there are still no cheap devices on the market for reading signals from the brain, and the devices sold are often targeted at those with a background in neuroscience.
Initially, Rakhmatulin invented a laptop brain-computer interface, but due to a shortage of chips, the device became expensive. Ultimately, he decided to create a system that could transform a Raspberry Pi into a brain-computer interface. The Raspberry Pi is the most popular single board computer on the market, making it the easiest way to get started in neuroscience and take measurements for a variety of research. The device is low cost, high precision, and easy to maintain. It’s compatible with the Raspberry Pi 3 or 4 models, which are under $100, while the shield itself will cost between $250 and $350, about $150 cheaper than other low-cost EEGs.
Rakhmatulin and his collaborators have also published a paper demonstrating the functionality of PiEEG: they were able to control mouse toys simply by blinking. But the potential of the device is much greater and it can be used in many different industries, depending on the desires and skills of the user.
Accessibility is the main goal of Rakhmatulin. For this reason, the instructions are open source, to make neuroscience accessible to all RaspberryPi and PiEEG users.
The PiEEG project is an important step towards a greater understanding and application of neuroscience. The possibility of controlling robots and mechanical limbs with the power of thought is exciting and represents a great advance in the field of technology. PiEEG could also have applications in medicine and mental health, as a possible treatment for neurological diseases or disorders such as ADHD and depression. Furthermore, PiEEG has the potential to be a useful tool for neuroscience education and research.
