Attention Seeker - Game controlled with your mind (EEG)

Introduction:

In today’s fast-paced digital world, maintaining focus has become increasingly difficult. From constant notifications to high levels of stress, many people struggle with attention and concentration. This challenge is even more pronounced in individuals with ADHD, anxiety, and cognitive overload.

We have developed Attention Seeker, an innovative neurofeedback game designed to help individuals enhance their focus in a fun and engaging way.

Game Objective: Control a spaceship using your focus (EEG) and hand movements (EMG) to navigate through space and destroy obstacles.

Before moving forward, let's understand some concepts:

• Electroencephalography (EEG): Electroencephalography (EEG) is a method to record an electrogram of the spontaneous electrical activity of the brain or brainwaves that can be divided into 5 types: delta, alpha, beta, theta, gamma. Each of these waves are associated with different cognitive states, such as relaxation, deep sleep, alertness, and focused attention. In Attention Seeker, we are specifically focused on beta waves, which are linked to focus, problem-solving, and active cognitive engagement.
• Electromyography (EMG): Electromyography is a technique that measures muscle response or electrical activity in response to a nerve’s stimulation of the muscle. In Attention Seeker, we are using this electrical activity or EMG signals to move the spaceship left or right.

To record EEG and EMG signals, we have used Neuro Playground (NPG) Lite which is a multichannel wireless bio-potential signal amplification device designed for recording EMG, ECG, EOG, and EEG. It comes in a compact Adafruit feather form factor and offers WiFi/BLE wireless connectivity. With the addition of daughter boards called Playmates, users can easily enhance the device’s capabilities, enabling the students/researchers/hobbyists to create awesome Human-Computer Interface (HCI) and Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) applications.

Neuro Playground (NPG) Lite is Launching soon on Crowd Supply!
Sign up on the pre-launch page to stay updated and be among the first to explore it:

https://www.crowdsupply.com/upside-down-labs/neuro-playground-lite

Now let's directly move to the step-by-step tutorial that will help you create the complete hardware and software setup to play the game.

Step 1: Skin Preparation

We will be using Neuro Play Ground (NPG) Lite to record:

• 1-channel EMG from the finger extensor muscle of the left hand
• 1-channel EMG from the finger extensor muscle of the right hand
• 1-channel EEG from the Fp1 position on the forehead, following the 10-20 international system for EEG recording.

Apply Nuprep Skin Preparation Gel to the designated areas where the electrodes will be placed. This helps remove dead skin cells and cleanse the skin for better signal quality. After thoroughly rubbing the skin, wipe the area using an alcohol wipe or a wet wipe.

Step 2: Connecting snap cables on Neuro Play Ground (NPG) Lite:

Connect the snap cables to Neuro Play Ground (NPG) Lite from one end and to the electrodes from the other end as shown in the image below:

Step 3: Electrode Placements:

To record EEG using Channel 1,

• Place the reference cable (REF) on the bony part behind the left earlobe
• Place the negative cable of Channel 1 (1N) on the bony part behind the right earlobe
• Place the positive cable of Channel 1 (1P) on Fp1 position on forehead as per 10-20 international system for recording EEG

To record EMG from left hand using Channel 2,

Place the negative cable (2N) and positive cable (2P) of Channel 2 on the finger extensor muscle of left hand.

To record EMG from right hand,

Place the negative cable (3N) and positive cable (3P) of Channel 3 on the finger extensor muscle of right hand.

Step 4: Uploading Arduino Firmware

Connect Neuro Play Ground (NPG) Lite to your laptop using the USB cable (Type A to Type C). Copy paste the firmware given below in Arduino IDE:

NPG_LITE_BLE: https://github.com/upsidedownlabs/Chords-Arduino-Firmware/blob/main/NPG-LITE-BLE/NPG_LITE_BLE.ino

Navigate to the Tools menu in the menu bar, then select the Board option and choose ESP32C3 Dev Module.

If this is your first time working with an ESP32 board, you will need to download the ESP32 by Espressif library. After installing the library, go back to the Board Manager and select ESP32C3 Dev Module.

Finally, choose the COM port to which your board is connected and click Upload to proceed.

Since the data will be transmitted via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), first, disconnect the USB cable and power on the NPG Lite using the designated button shown above. Next, enable Bluetooth on your laptop and connect to NPG Lite to establish the connection.

Step 5: Download GitHub Repository

Download the GitHub repository for the Attention Seeker Game, extract the folder, navigate to the extracted directory, and launch the game by opening landing.html

Step 6: Play Game

Now you are ready to control a spaceship using your focus (EEG) and hand movements (EMG) to navigate through space and destroy obstacles.

Click on Start Game, then click on Connect, select the board name from the available Bluetooth devices, and begin playing the game.

The game controls can be found below:

• Game Begins: The spaceship moves forward automatically in space
• Fire Lasers: Increase focus (beta waves) above a threshold to fire at obstacles
• Move Left: Flex left hand to shift the spaceship left
• Move Right: Flex right hand to shift the spaceship right
• Destroy Obstacles: Focus to fire and clear your path

Step 7: Optimize the game

The threshold values for different individuals can vary due to several factors, including age, muscle strength, brain activity, and overall physiological differences. To ensure an optimal gameplay experience, you have the option to customize the following settings:

• Threshold of Beta Waves: Adjust the required level of focus (EEG) needed to fire lasers in the game.
• Threshold of EMG Signals from the Left Hand
• Threshold of EMG Signals from the Right Hand

The possibilities with Neuro Play Ground (NPG) Lite are truly endless! What exciting projects or applications do you plan to create using NPG Lite? We’d love to hear your ideas!

Additionally, we are always looking to enhance the Attention Seeker game. What improvements would you like to see? Are there any new features, gameplay mechanics, or challenges that you think would make the game more engaging and effective?

Share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below!