Weeks 3-4 (S2)

Due to our success at the past Rochester Maker Faire, we were recognized by RIT Dubai as an exemplary group and have been sponsored out to represent them in the Dubai Maker Faire. The Ultra Cortex, EMG Game Controller, EMG Activated Tiger Head, EMG RC Car, and Prosthetic projects will be displayed. Appropriate projects can be demo'd by participants at the fair. We are very thankful for this opportunity and plan to make the most of this experience. We will send Harrison Canning, Executive Lead, Colin Fausnaught, Executive Lead, Asa Chambal-Jacobs, General Manager, and Russell Cobb, Hardware Team Lead.

Projects We're Bringing

Ultra Cortex

The Ultra Cortex M4 is technology developed by OpenBCI that allows you to see brainwave activity on a computer. We plan to allow participants to wear the Ultra Cortex M4and get excited about neurotech!

EMG Game Controller

The EMG game controller allows the user to flex muscles (usually on forearm) to play classic video games like Super Mario and Lunar Lander. We will have a scoreboard and give the leaders a 3D-printed trophy.

EMG Activated Tiger Head

We 3D printed a Tiger head which will be outfitted with a speaker and LED eyes. The goal is to activate the eyes and a 'roaring' sound effect when our system senses the user signing the ASL word "tiger."

EMG RC Car

The goal of this project is to control all four directions of an RC car using EMG signals (on/off or above/below the threshold). This project has seen several iterations. In the most recent video in the repository, you will see Niko Procopi with tape all over his chest, wires going in all different directions, and 6 boards. Since then, he has condensed the system onto two boards using the OpenBCI GUI (no tape required). The accuracy is still lower than we would like, but we are on the right track to get it done by the 16th.

Prosthetic Under $100

The goal of this project is to produce a single channel (open and close functions) EMG-controlled 3D printed prosthetic with a total production cost of under $100. We have partnered with Jade Myers of RIT's PORTAL lab to build a custom prosthetic for this purpose.

Other News

EMGo

Colin is away visiting the ALS foundation to learn more from the people we plan to help with this project.

EMGo Wheelchair has completed their first iteration and now have a wheelchair that can be remotely controlled and steered. They also have a way of accurately gathering and interpreting EMG signals. The next step is to combine these to allow EMG steering of the wheelchair. The next steps for the team will be to combine both of these technologies and start user testing.

EMG Game Controller

Niko has been officially approved by the Nintendo Developer Network to modify software for the Nintendo Switch. They plan on integrating the OpenBCI software native into the device so that it can do the EMG sensing, processing, and game play all in one device. The team also acquired a Nintendo Switch game console so they can start work right away.

Prosthetics

The arm is in the lab! George will start printing and developing new hardware for the prosthetics as we work to have a completed prototype by the Dubai Maker Faire.

Fabrics

Preliminary designs are complete and the team will move to making their first physical models once the required parts ship.

Thought Keyboard

Team has done even more research which has lead to a scope change for the project. They will now mostly collaborate with the machine learning team to improve signal gathering. Here is a sample from Researcher Russell Cobb.

Research Reviews

Harrison and his team have started writing their first round of research papers! Abby will write about advancing brain controlled prosthetic devices (invasive and non-invasive). Josh is working on a history of brain computer interfaces and related technologies. Forrest has begun methodologies and devices used in peripheral nerve signal acquisition. And lastly, Harrison will write about a synopsis of the current state of the brain computer interface industry and market projections.