BMEG 321 2022W2

Lab #4: EEG Acquisition and Processing

Deliverables:
● A formal report featuring each section and following the format requirements provided in
the ‘Formal Report Checklist’ document. Include all relevant graphs you generate in the
body of your report, making sure that they have proper labeling and titles and that they
are easily readable. Cite all external resources and include any additional content in an
appendix. You should aim to have the report body be less than 8 pages.

This lab will introduce you to measuring electroencephalogram (EEG) signals using a brainwear
device called EMOTIV EPOC X [1]. This headset features 14 EEG channels and communicates
wirelessly through bluetooth/the provided dongle. In this lab, you will learn how to set up the
headset properly, explore the principal components of brain waves, and visualize them using the
applications provided by EMOTIV.

For this lab, you will need the following equipment:

● EMOTIV EPOC X headset
● EPOC Felt Sensors - 16 per student (with a small Ziplock bag for storage)
● Saline Solution
● Mason jar to soak the felt sensors
You will also need the following software/codes:
● EMOTIV Launcher with EmotivBCI & EmotivPro

Part A - Setting Up the Headset

1. Each student will be provided with a pack of 16 felts for themselves. We suggest that
each group member uses their own felts when wearing the headset for sanitary reasons.
The electrodes are mounted on flexible plastic mounts, please be very careful not to use
too much force when putting in or removing the felts, or else the plastic might break.
Each of these systems costs >$1,000, so please handle with care.
2. Before putting the felts in the headset, you first have to hydrate them using the provided
saline solution. Follow the steps found in the link below:
https://emotiv.gitbook.io/epoc-x-user-manual/getting-started/hydrating-the-sensor-felts
3. You can now put the felt sensors into the headset by following the steps here:
https://emotiv.gitbook.io/epoc-x-user-manual/getting-started/fitting-the-sensor-felts
Note: There are rubber inserts in 2 of the of the electrodes, P3 and P4, do NOT remove
these.
4. Now connect the USB dongle provided in the EMOTIV kit to your laptop, you can then
proceed to turn on the EMOTIV headset.

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5. Open the EMOTIV launcher from your laptop and log in, if you don’t already have an
account, you should create a free account now.
6. From the list of devices, connect to your headset using the serial number. This can be
found beside the barcode on the cardboard slip which was around the case, or on a card
contained in the case itself.
7. Once you have selected your device, the software will guide you through how to properly
place and fit the headset on the head. Make sure you see 100% contact in the
contact quality tab before continuing.

Adjust the electrodes so they are touching the scalp, otherwise the contact quality will be
low. If some of the electrodes are not contacting well, you can put some more saline
solution in those specific electrodes using the hole present on the outer face of the
electrodes. It will be easier to ask your teammate to help with this.

You can follow the guidance provided at the following link to help maximize your contact
quality:
https://emotiv.gitbook.io/epoc-x-user-manual/getting-started/fitting-your-epoc-x/how-to-
achieve-the-best-contact-quality

8. After ensuring the contact quality is 100%, continue to the signal quality tab. Ensure that
the contact quality reaches >80% while the participant is stationary and relaxed before
continuing.

Part B - Running EMOTIVPRO

1. Launch EmotivPRO from the App tab in EMOTIVLauncher. Run through the connection
settings and make sure you have good contact.
2. In the first tab RAW EEG, you can visualize the waveforms coming from the 14 different
channels. Label the name of each electrode in the following diagram, and provide the
labelled diagram in your report. The labels can be found both on the EMOTIV website
and on the individual felt holders.

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3. Click the option to start a recording, and in the recording options check ‘include
baseline’, and set its total to 30 seconds. Now record and save 60 seconds worth of data
of you in a normal, relaxed state.
4. Repeat this process and save a new 60 second recording (again with the 30 seconds total
baseline) where you are blinking rapidly throughout.
Note: You can access the recordings from the ‘recording’ tab.
5. Compare the two recordings in EMOTIV Pro and comment on the differences you see
between them. Which channels/electrodes are causing the difference in signal? Where are
these electrodes located? Is the signal coming from them still primarily EEG data?
(a couple short paragraphs)
6. Exit your recording to see the live data again, and navigate to the next FFT/Band power
tab where you can visualize the FFT of two channels at the same time by toggling them
using the “Eye icon” in the upper right.
The plot on the bottom indicates if the waves are dominantly Theta, Alpha, Beta, or
Gamma. Briefly describe what each of these waves means and what information they
might contain. (a few short paragraphs)
7. Beta waves are in the range of 12-25 Hz. What sources of noise might need to be
considered when analyzing these? (a few sentences)
8. Alpha waves should show up when you are relaxed and close your eyes. Choose to
monitor the signal from two different channels at the front and back of your head (for
instance, P7 and F7), close your eyes and try to relax.
Ask your teammate to monitor band powers, there should be a spike in your Alpha
waves. Investigate a selection of channel pairs where one electrode is at the front and
back, providing an image of the Alpha wave spikes in your report. Compare and discuss
the Alpha wave spikes seen at different locations. (a short paragraph)
9. In the next tab, ‘Performance Metrics’, you can measure a selection of performance
metrics when doing a task (Engagement, Excitement, Focus, Interest, Relaxation, Stress).
Take a screenshot after 2 mins of doing nothing, simply sitting and relaxing with your
eyes closed. Next, after watching something you enjoy on YouTube (at least 2 mins),
take another screenshot.
Compare the waveforms and make a table with the values you got for each performance
metric. Were you more engaged or excited when watching the video? Were you more
focused and/or relaxed when not watching the video? (a few sentences)
10. Write a few short paragraphs on how the EMOTIVPRO app is able to generate scores for
your state of mind. Comment on if/to what extent these numbers are medically reliable.
(a couple short paragraphs)

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Part C - Running EMOTIVBCI

1. From the Emotiv Launcher, go to Apps and launch EmotivBCI. You can create a profile
with your name here to get started. The BCI (Brain Computer Interface) app lets you train
machine learning models to identify your brain waves for different tasks. In this part of
the lab, you will first train a model to move a box while thinking about it, and then you’ll
train a model to detect facial expressions.
2. Open the Mental Commands Tab and follow the instructions to train the Neutral
Command and Pushing Command for 10 repetitions each.
Note: Try not to move any muscles when training the model.
3. Now switch to the live mode and see if you can push the box using just your thoughts.
Note: The sensitivity of command detection can be adjusted in live mode. You can also
try adding a third command like Pulling or Lifting the box, although this will require
more iterations of training to work reliably.
4. Go to the Facial Expression Tab and train the model for different expressions and see if
you can use these to control the virtual face expressions. Again, this will require several
iterations of training. If you have time remaining in the lab, feel free to try multiple
expressions.
5. Did the program find it easier or harder to detect your facial expression? Why might this
be? (a few sentences)
6. Write a few paragraphs on your experience and observations with BCI in this part of the
lab, you should also discuss its use in medical settings. (a few short paragraphs)

Part D - Cleaning and Storage

Please follow your TA’s guidance in cleaning and storing away your headset, and felt sensors
1. When your EPOC X is not in use, remove all the sensor felts from the headset. Do NOT
remove the rubber inserts in electrodes P3 and P4. Leaving wet sensor felts in the
sensors will corrode the electrodes.
Store your used sensor felts separately if you will want to use the headset again during
the lab time.
2. To keep the headset in optimum condition, rinse the sensors with distilled water after use
to remove excess salt. Ask your TA to do this. EPOC X’s electrodes are electroplated
and keeping them clean will minimize corrosion.
3. Allow the felts to dry out before storing them.

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References:
[1] https://www.emotiv.com/epoc-x/

Academic Integrity
The academic enterprise is founded on honesty, civility, and integrity. As members of this enterprise, all
students are expected to know, understand, and follow the codes of conduct regarding academic integrity.
At the most basic level, this means submitting only original work done by you and acknowledging all
sources of information or ideas and attributing them to others as required. This also means you should not
cheat, copy, or mislead others about what is your work. Violations of academic integrity (i.e., misconduct)
lead to the breakdown of the academic enterprise, and therefore serious consequences arise and harsh
sanctions are imposed. For example, incidences of plagiarism or cheating may result in a mark of zero on
the assignment or exam and more serious consequences may apply if the matter is referred to the
President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. Careful records are kept in order to monitor and
prevent recurrences. For more information, see:
http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=3,286,0,0

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