POC - EEG linked control

yesterday, i was able to power up the infernal contraption. i have been merging a Neurosky Mindwave with electronics to develop alternative systems control interface. with all the wires in place a voltage divider built it was time to breadboard. very excited i temporarily built a 4 LED rig based on the Neurosky tutorial (the tutorial called for a 9 or 10 LED array). make sure you are only feeding the receiver module 3-3.3volts!! the TX and RX are fed into the same on the Arduino Uno.








i imported the code from the tutorial and had only one small serial method change to make in order to update it to Arduino 1.0. My adapted code here.

my next challenge was to pair the headset and receiver. after re-reading the original directions, i realized it was a simple order of operations problem. to pair one must start with both off (including the headset must not be worn yet). power up the receiver module and then power up the headset. you may then put the headset on the subject. anytime i did not follow those directions strictly the system wouldn't pair.

within minutes i could watch changes in the LED responses; i tracked changes to emotional and tension levels

lots of prep to get ready

i dug in hard today on the project. after cracking the case of the receiving unit of the Neurosky, i spent a bit of time confirming pin outs and making sure my model matched the information i have gathered on the process. i started to wire up the bread board and i realized i was missing the voltage regulator; where the arduino sends data at 5v, the dongle takes a 3.3v signal. there were many reports of people burning out the dongles over a period time with this over voltage. suggested is the SparkFun Logic Level Converter - Bi-Directional

sigh...

so i sucked it up ordered a piece or two from amazon prime and paid for next day shipping and I will have it tomorrow. i realized as i continued to read up on the reasons why the voltage needed reduction that i could simply build a voltage divider as the team from Make a Mind-Controlled Arduino Robot had done. this is a simple process where you pass the voltage across two resistors in series leading to fractional adjusted voltage.


there are tons of calculators on the web, i used this one today and this one in the past to make multi-voltage supplies.

this is what I ended up with. and it worked beautifully with R1 = 1.8kΩ and R2 = 3.3KΩ

i also soldered wires to the pin-outs on the transmitter/receiver. note the shrink tube on the bundle as a stress relief and careful soldering on bottom to prevent shorts/bridges.

a side adventure to the thrift shop

i decided to go see what i could find at the local thrift shop. the pickings in Owego were modest but i did score two night lights to leave here at the residency site as well as three power supplies all for under 10$. i walked down to the store this place reminds me so much of Eureka CA with the Victorian and Greek Revival wood framed houses. i stopped into Mario's for lunch, the Manicotti was very good and the garlic knots were amazing. here's a few images from the walk:

really?? Owego?

Owego NY is the homeland of one of my great grandfather 4 generations ago. when i took up the residency offer, i had no idea. it wasn't until my uncle told me that it became very apparent. i actually have the facsimile of this ancestor Ephraim Lainhart. the Lainharts were Germans who immigrated/settled the Tioga County area and Upstate New York in the 1700's. Lainhart Road still exists today and is the home of a grass fed beef farm Twin Brook Farms.

early today before reporting to the residency, i rented a car and drove out to the site just to marvel at the ancestral lands. the country is a set of rolling hills and creeks, sparsely populated with wood frame multi-story farm houses, barns and a few lumber mills. i took these pictures today. that is the Lainhart family farmstead or at least the lands.

after i got to town, i went to the Visitors Bureau and they said that they think the Twin Brook Farms owner would probably be open to a visit. i am going to try to make sure i buy and cook a roast from them before i leave. how could i resist the urge

a residency at Signal Culture (Owego NY)

for the past 24 hours i have been in what is known as the Finger Lakes area of Upstate New York. several months ago my application for the residency program at Signal Culture was accepted. the program bring researchers and creative interested in experimental processes in art and media to the village of Owego to give time to work on a project. i was awarded a two week stay and i elected to come in between semesters.

over the next two weeks, i will be practicing/experimenting with using EEG (electroencephalogram) data as a systems control input. yep brainwaves to run name-your-choice-of-physical-hardware. last summer i proposed a theatrical project to enable two actors to run puppetry from their biometrics. that project wasn't picked up and the project was put on the shelf. i applied for the Signal Culture opportunity to give me time to open it once again.

today was a day to look around get my bearings, visit ancestral grounds and meet one of the principals in the project. Owego is a town on the banks of the Susquehanna River the are settled since the 1700's has the feeling of a Victorian era boom town built on lumber, farming, and industry. i am just getting familiar and I will tell you more as time goes along.

Signal Culture is in a three story brick building on North Avenue, a main artery through the center of the village. for my time here, i have a spacious 400-500 sq. foot studio with tables, tools and equipment/components. a big bedroom and private bath attach to the studio. the kitchen, dining room/library are on the 3rd floor as a shared resource with the other residents and the founders of the program. i feel incredibly fortunate, and i am very grateful for the support of Signal Culture and the UWF Art Department who have made it possible for me to be here.