Bring Up to Speed Progress Report

Brainwave Team: Ryan W. & Andres D. 

We started the project with biofeedback in gaming, hoping that we would create a horror game similar to Nevermind. To start our research, we ordered MindWave, which is a device that records brain wave signals. Then, out of nowhere, we got the news that Helana was no longer going to attend ELRO. That news hit us hard because she was the most knowledgable on coding. However, as one door closes another one opens. Shortly after losing Helana, we gained Sebastian and Esteban.  They joined our group after they found out that their project had already been done. Ever since we've merged teams, it has been much easier to make progress because we work in parallel. While Ryan and I work on exporting brain wave data in order to use that in an application, Esteban and Sebastian have been working on the application itself. Another impactful moment in our group was when Mr. Lin introduced us to Open Vibe. This was the software that we needed in order to obtain raw data and use that raw data to our advantage. We've been stuck for a while, unfortunately, because although we are obtaining numerical data, we do not know how to export the data into a .csv file. To overcome this set back, we've been doing more research on the blocks in Open Vibe. Just yesterday we found a block known as "csv file writer" which we believe may be the answer to our problems. 

Application Team: Esteban C. & Sebastian C. 

We started off working with the mindwave technology. Our goal is to build an app that will be able to incorporate this technology into the app. We started off using Xcode, the application used to build apple apps. As we started working and tweaking the sample app that was provided to us, we hit many roadblocks that were beyond our intellectual scopes. It is beyond our knowledge of coding. We tried to incorporate storyboard into this app but that was impossible for us. We then switched over to an android system. We started off using eclipse but the android developers page recommended using android studio, there own program for running apps. Our current problem is not being able to get android studio to run smoothly. We've tried multiple ways to get the code to run on android studio but this is turning out to be more difficult than what we expected. The current roadblock that we have is not being able to run the code on an android device or an android emulator that comes in android studio. We have watched multiple tutorials and have done extensive research but we cannot come up with the solution to the problem. Every time that we come close, something else fails and brings us right back to square one. Due to this problem, progress lately has been stagnate. We are reading through developer documents in the android developer website to see if there is anyway to troubleshoot this problem.

Progress Report: 1/16/15

App Team: Esteban C. & Sebastian C.

Progress:

Once that we changed into java and used eclipse, we are tinkering with the code and trying to get the app to run. To be able to get this done, we had to download a different program called android studio. Android studio is a format in which you can also write code and it comes with different tools that can be used to develop applications for android devices. Once we downloaded the program, we started to study it and get use to the program. We looked up a few tutorials on the different tools that come with Android Studio and found the emulator that it comes with. Much like xcode, you can run your program on an android device simulator. After some time exploring we finally got the app to work on the emulator.

Problems:

Although we got the emulator to work, in the middle of it running, the program crashed and closed down android studio. Once we opened it again, the emulator refused to work. We keep getting the same error that the emulator is missing a “module”. So now we are doing some troubleshooting on what happened and what this “module” is. We are hoping that we can get the emulator to get working again by next Tuesday. Along with that, we are continuing trying to understand and analyze the code.

Open Vibe: Ryan W. & Andres D.

Progress: This week we encountered multiple problems with the integration of the simulation definition. Defining the simulation requires a script file that tells the function to what to include within it's definition of "simulation". In' theory, I know what I want to do, but it's the actual implementation that troubles us.Through out the week, I have attempted, with not avail to bridge the gap that exists between numerical data and development.

Progress Report 1/8/15

Brain Wave Team: Andres & Ryan

Progress:

This week we focused on building the application. We’ve been trying really hard to figure out how to split the frequencies up into alpha, beta, gamma, etc. but it has been figured out.  In the Acquisition server, there is a tab for driver properties. The properties have a selection for “Power (8 Channel)” which splits the frequencies by utilizing:

Acquisition Server → Temporal Filter → Spectral Analysis → Signal Display

Upon building the visual program, we stumbled across “Matrix Display”. Matrix Display, unlike signal display, gave the numerical values we needed to implement further development. Getting the numbers from the raw data would allow us to export numbers into a file (.CSV) and use the data for further application.

Now that we have the data, we can undergo different experiments, such as testing out different types of music on someone using MindWave. With the data from each test, we hope to find something that stands out (ex: spike) so we can use that as a reference.

We’ve also been writing an email to Emotiv because they have a new device that is very promising and has many more outputs than MindWave. The email looks as such:

Hi, My name is Andres Daza and I'm a high school senior from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in New York City. I'm in a class called Advanced STEM Research and my group is working on biofeedback technology using MindWave. So far, we haven't been satisfied with the device, and believe that your new device, Insight, is very promising and would allow us to further our research. We would really appreciate it if you could send us an evaluation prototype strictly for our research. 

Problem/Solutions:

We still need to find a way to export the file. We hope that by looking through more tutorials, and experimenting more with OpenVibe, we'll successfully find a way to export the file. Every time we play around with OpenVibe, we discover new things. For example, we recently discovered a tool that allows to define stimulation. Say I define stimulation as being an alpha wave with Amplitude>5, which essentially filters out a set trait or quality can be used to write a program.                                    

Application and Coding Team: Sebastian & Esteban

Progress:

Before the break started, we decided to change the platform of where we were going to work on the app. At first we were working on X-Code and using Objective-C. This became a problem since we are not familiar with the language and the language itself became harder to understand. So we have now changed to using Eclipse which uses Java as the language. Java is not only easier to understand but Vasil and Gui have made themselves available for us as well. With this change we are hoping to understand more thoroughly and quickly the application that comes with the MindWave headset.

Problems and Plans:

The only problem that we’ve faced is being able to open the file of the android thinkgear directly on eclipse. We may have fixed this issue by finding a way to bypass the way you open the file. The problem we seem to be facing now is being able to start the application on an android phone. Right now that is what we’re working on and we plan to be able to do it by next Thursday.

Progress Report 12/18/14

Brainwave Team: Ryan W. and Andes D.

Progress: This week, we researched the visual library of OpenVibe by reading up on and watching videos explaining the functions of each function. The OpenVibe Designer works by fetching data from the Acquisition Server.The Acquisition Server has a set of different drivers that are specific to different EEG monitors. The drivers are designed specifically to reduce the maximum amount of noise for the recording device. The video taught us how to build an example program that could convert raw data from time domain to frequency domain. This week, I was not only researching the pathways needed to generate a .CSV file from the data, which could produce tangible numerical data, but also I was researching the tools I could use to make communication between data and application real time.

Problems & Plans: I found the functions necessary to make this idea work but I still need to find a method to link it all together- right now it’s like pieces to a puzzle, I just need to find a way to fit all the pieces together correctly to make the program cohesive.

App Team: Esteban C. and Sebastian C.

Progress: We are actively modifying the sample application that we have. We've learned the general structure of the app. Specifically, and most importantly, we know where the app controls its raw data. We've also identified where the app creates a table, so we’ll be able to cut out the data that we don’t need. Other things we've done is connect our app to an iPhone and run it, re familiarize ourselves with xcode, and continuing to isolate different components of the app to see how they work.

Problems & Plans: The most recent problem that we encountered was a foreign command in xcode called “synthesize” Instead of using a storyboard, like we learned last year, the app synthesizes the images on the screen and doesn't use the typical way. This will make the learning curve deeper, but we believe that it shouldn't be too big of a problem. We've started looking into this problem in order to either convert the app into an app that uses a storyboard or learn this new command.

Progress Report 12/11/14

Progress:

Brain Research Team

• We decided to go with OpenVibe as our method of obtaining raw data after finding a PC that ran on Windows 7. Now we do not have to buy MyndPlay Pro, which was our alternative. 

• We were able to install OpenVibe and successfully connect MindWave with it.

• Using OpenVibe tutorials, we finally obtained raw data after many weeks! 

Video Tutorials:

1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poX_DVB711o

2) http://openvibe.inria.fr/openvibe-video-tutorial-english/

Application Team

• Downloaded developer tool software to make a simple App. 

• Simple decision-making app that runs on the premiss of "if... then" 

• Inspiration: 

Problem:

Brain Wave Team

• We do not know how to read the raw data from OpenVibe.

• We don't know how to process the raw data from OpenVibe in order to use code 

• We don't know how to use the raw data so that it feeds into the program real time 

Application Team

• We are looking in the code how to extract receiving data. 

• We're figuring out the different commands specific for the mind wave application

Plan:

• Ryan and Andres: We are going to continue researching OpenVibe in order to obtain different types of raw data. We are also going to find a way to process the raw data that we already have. We want to be able to understand and use the raw data in order to incorporate that into our application. 

• Esteban and Sebastian: We're going to extract the raw data from the current application and create a simple application using this data. 

Progress Report 12/4/13

Progress:

• We've done more extensive research on how to obtain raw data. Right now, we have three different methods that are compatible with MindWave and are possible candidates. These include: OpenVibe, Brainwave Visualizer, and MyndPlay Pro. 

• OpenVibe: A brain-computer interference that enables commands or messages to be sent to computers by means of brain activity. 
• Processes brain signals: it can be used to acquire, filter, process, classify, and visualize brain signals in real time. 
• Pros: Free, easy to use, includes frequency domain
• Cons: Requires Windows 7
• Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAvkr1z8ah4

• Brainwave Visualizer: Just recently we found out that the software that came with MindWave, which we have been using for a while now, is actually capable of recording raw data. We first discovered this by finding out that it can give us numerical data. 
• Pros: Free, provides analysis of EEG data, gives information on different types of waves (Beta, Gamma, Alpha)
• Cons: In order to record real-time brain wave data, we have to use Itunes.

• MyndPlay Pro: Is an all in one EEG neurofeedback recording, reporting, and analysis software tool. It includes a media player so that you can watch any video and record/view your brain reactions in real-time. 
• Pros: records real-time raw data at a sampling rate of 512 Hz, records all types of data waves, includes a real-time live feed activity screen, and saves your brainwave data.
•  Cons: Expensive ($100), and not enough research has been done on the app. 

Problem:

• We do not know which of these software tools to use. All are possible candidates, but we have yet to find one that exceeds our expectations. 
• The problem with OpenVibe is that the software is old and therefore we cannot use it on Ryan's computer. 
• The problem with Brainwave Visualizer is that we have not yet recorded any data using it and do not know if it actually works. 
• The problem with MyndPlay Pro is that it is very expensive. 
• We now know that putting the sensor from MindWave on the forehead isn't that reliable because a lot of the waves that are calculated come from the movement of the muscles in the forehead. 

Plan: 

• Esteban and I: Continue to do more research on Myndplay Pro and Brainwave Visualizer. If we can obtain actual data from Brainwave Visualizer using Itunes then we will most likely use that software. If not, then we will most likely go with Myndplay Pro. 
• Ryan and Sebastian: Continue doing research on brain waves. They will also will find out if we can use OpenVibe.

Progress Report: 11/13/14 (Injecting Biofeedback into Different Fields)

Problem: We want to place our knowledge in Biofeedback in an industry more viable than video games.

Progress Report: This week we discovered that in order to record the data, we needed to download a third party application to export data EEG data to an excel file. With the application it is possible to directly record and export the raw data to an excel file through by writing code, but for the sake of time, we believe that it is most efficient to use an application to record the data.

http://store.neurosky.com/products/labview-drivers

Essentially, the third party application is not really an application but a series of driver that have a set of codes that that will be able to record and save raw EEG data. We think extracting the raw EEG data is important because it segregates into many different applications. We initially believed in divulging into the field of video games with Helena around with her expertise on video gaming, but now that she’s not here anymore, we decided to adjust our human resources. With new additions to our team, Esteban and Sebastian, we decided to confer with him to find out what they are especially good at. Sebastian has specialties in the neurosciences- he recently took neuroscience class at Hunter College over the summer. He is working with Ryan to analyze the raw data. Esteban and Andres are going to work on the actual application. As of right now, we don’t exactly know how to drive the project further, but we are discussing where we can bring the biofeedback area to because creating a video game is not viable as an application.  We believe that doing a video game is not viable because of our lack of knowledge in video games and the lack of interest in the whole community. The video game community is not wide-spread and not everyone plays video games, which is why we decided to take biofeedback elsewhere. 

Solution: The group needs to talk it out and decide what we want to invest our time into; meanwhile, Sebastian and Ryan will research the analysis of raw EEG data (conversion of quantitative data to qualitative data)

Dates:

Meeting with Mr. Lin: 11/14/14

Decide on an outlet for Biofeedback input 11/17/14

Meeting with Mr. Lin: 11/18/14