Amazing energy from more than 100K techies from around the world working hard on their innovations. Wearables, drones, mixed reality, autonomous vehicles, smart home devices, you name it!
It was inspiring to see multiple companies on the show floor who’ve previously used OpenBCI equipment, and the high level of interest in Galea. The neurotechnology and broader biosensing industries are definitely gaining a growing presence in the tech world.
What a week at I/ITSEC! On top of the Unity awards, here are some highlights from the event:
💻 Trying the latest products by our partners Varjoand iMotions. 👩💼 Meeting our advisor Amy Kruse and watching her use Galea. 🚁 Controlling helicopters, planes, and tanks in highly realistic VR simulators by Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, CAE, and more. 🦋Learning about the impactful work companies like Moth+Flame are doing by providing training modules that include suicide and assault interventions.
And, most importantly, an OpenBCIbooth that got more and more packed by the day!
More people are becoming aware of the potential #neurotechnology has to positively impact our lives and looking to get involved. I believe that this industry will grow exponentially and shape how we interact with our environment in ways we can’t imagine today.
It’s vital to provide those interested in learning with resources to get started. I struggled to find them when I was a student. Harrison Canning and Colin Fausnaught—the BCI Guys—are doing an amazing job of filling this gap by providing educational materials that are not only free but also engaging and easy to follow. I always recommend their Foundations of Neurotechnology course to our new hires who come from a different industry.
Neurotech poses exciting yet daunting challenges. Lowering the barrier of entry and generating interest is essential to attract the bright minds who can help us to solve them. We’re only scratching the surface, let’s keep digging.
If you work with biosensors you know that one of the biggest challenges is knowing how to adjust them properly to get a reliable signal. To automate this for Galea, we’re developing a VR assistant that shows you how to get the headset to fit right.
What content would you like to see in future OpenBCI webinars?
Two years ago I dipped my toes into brain-computer interface (BCI) technology by hacking a $30 Star Wars toy to read EEG data and make a cardboard wheel spin by concentrating on it. My team and I first showcased the prototype at the 2019 Cornell Tech Open Studio event. Although I understood the science behind it, putting the device on users’ heads and watching the wheel spin felt like magic!
Fast forward to today and my code is running on Galea, a $25K high-end platform that merges next-generation BCI systems with head-mounted displays. This work anniversary I’d like to reflect on how far I’ve come since I joined the OpenBCI team as an intern on July 1st, 2020. During my time with them, I have not only contributed to the whole technology stack—hardware, firmware, software, data processing, cloud—but I’ve acquired a solid foundation of knowledge in neuroscience and learnt key aspects of running a hardware business.
Most importantly, I’ve found my people. The OpenBCI team dreams big and works hard to build products that push the boundaries of what’s possible today. Together, we are shaping the future of human-computer interaction. I can’t wait to see what year three brings for us—let’s keep changing the world one BCI at a time!
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get” is what my first manager, Christina Kalli, told me as I proceeded to make a case to our UK team at GE Healthcare on why I should be the first intern to travel abroad and present my research at the 2018 Alzheimer’s Association Conference in Chicago. It was at that conference that I learnt about neurotechnology and discovered my passion for the field.
For this year’s International Women in Engineering Day, I’d like to thank you for the support and guidance you’ve given me over the years. You took me under your wing during my first internship in 2017. That year, I learnt C#, Unreal Engine, Python and other technologies, but my most valuable takeaway was cultivating the habit to ask for opportunities even when I think the answer will be no. Often times, I find myself pleasantly surprised by a yes. And occasionally it changes my life, like that trip did.
I had a blast at AWE 2022 this week! It was exciting to showcase Galea and an honor for us at OpenBCI to receive the “Best Interaction Product” award. Congratulations to the Varjo team on winning the “Best Headworn Device” award.
I loved learning about the latest products in the AR/VR industry. From TRIPP, Inc.‘s VR meditation experiences to OWO Game‘s haptic videogame technology, the fast evolution of this industry blows my mind every time.
I’m excited to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible today and share it with all of you at #AWE2023!
