Imec and Holst Centre launch EEG headset for consumer applications

 

Recently, imec, a leading nanoelectronics research centre in Leuven, Belgium, the associated Holst Centre in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and the Industrial Design Engineering (IDE) faculty of TU Delft in The Netherlands, have announced the introduction of a new wireless electroencephalogram (EEG) headset that can be worn comfortably and achieves a high-quality EEG signal. The headset is reported to enable effective brain-computer interfacing and can monitor emotions and mood in daily life situations using a smartphone application.

Wireless technology that measures body parameters has become increasingly popular in lifestyle applications. Imec and Holst Centre aim to extend the functionality of consumer applications and true healthcare monitoring wearables. To realise this, they develop headsets that combine medical-grade data acquisition with increased comfort. Imec’s wireless EEG headsets with dry electrodes are said to be easy to apply and support long-term daily life monitoring. Such headsets can be used in consumer applications like games that monitor relaxation, engagement and concentration. They can also be used for attention training, sleep training and the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

“Leveraging imec’s strong background in EEG sensing, dry polymer and active electrodes, miniaturized and low-power data acquisition, and low-power wireless interfaces to smartphones, we were able to focus on the ergonomics of this project. In doing so, we have successfully realised this unique combination of comfort and effectiveness at the lowest possible cost to the future user,” stated Bernard Grundlehner, EEG system architect at imec.