Emotiv#Emotiv EPOC
{{short description|Bio-informatics and technology company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Emotiv Inc.
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| founded = 2011 in Australia
| founder = Tan Le (CEO), Geoff Mackellar (CTO)
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| fate = Active
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| hq_location_city =San Francisco, California
| hq_location_country =U.S.A.
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| industry =Technology, bioinfomatics
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| products = EPOC+, Insight, software, and SDKs
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| website = https://www.emotiv.com
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Emotiv Inc. is a privately held bio-informatics and technology company developing and manufacturing wearable electroencephalography (EEG) products including neuroheadsets, software development kits (SDK), software, mobile apps, and data products. Founded in 2011 by Tan Le and Geoff Mackellar, the company is headquartered in San Francisco, U.S.A. with facilities in Sydney, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
History
Tan Le founded a separate company called Emotiv Systems with Nam Do,{{Cite web|url=http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/161891,future-tech-interview-with-emotiv-co-founder-nam-do-and-the-science-behind-mind-control.aspx|title=Future tech: Interview with Emotiv co-founder Nam Do, and the science behind mind control|access-date=2016-08-10}} Allan Snyder, and Neil Weste, in Australia in 2003.{{Cite web|url=http://startups.sharmavishal.com/2008/06/emotiv-control-gameplay-with-your.html|title=Following Australian Startups and Tech Trends: Emotiv - Control Gameplay With Your Thoughts, Expressions & Emotions|website=startups.sharmavishal.com|access-date=2016-08-10}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.visualcv.com/tanttle|title=Tan Le - Founder & CEO at EMOTIV - VisualCV|last=VisualCV.com|website=www.visualcv.com|access-date=2016-08-10}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/emotivs-man-machine-melding-interface-technology/|title=Emotiv's man-machine melding interface technology|last=Farber|first=Dan|website=ZDNet|access-date=2016-08-10}} The work resulted in the first version of the EPOC neuroheadset released in 2009,{{Cite journal|last1=Ofek|first1=Elie|last2=Riis|first2=Jason|last3=Hamilton|first3=Paul|date=2009-10-15|title=Emotiv Systems Inc.: It's the Thoughts that Count|url=http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=38022}} one of the first mobile EEG device available to the market.{{Cite web|url=http://www.inc.com/magazine/20081201/reality-bites.html|title=Reality Bites|date=2008-12-01|access-date=2016-08-10}}
In 2010, Tan Le split from the partnership to establish a US entity, Emotiv Lifesciences Inc.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/bios/tan-le/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616044135/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/bios/tan-le/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 16, 2013|title=Tan Le, Innovator and Entrepreneur Information, Facts, News, Photos -- National Geographic|last=Society|first=National Geographic|website=National Geographic Society |access-date=2016-08-10}} with Geoffrey Mackellar. In December 2013, Emotiv Lifesciences officially changed its name to Emotiv Inc.
The original EPOC has been used in research and shown to deliver acceptable quality EEG for research purposes.{{Cite journal|last1=Melnik|first1=Andrew|last2=Legkov|first2=Petr|last3=Izdebski|first3=Krzysztof|last4=Kärcher|first4=Silke M.|last5=Hairston|first5=W. David|last6=Ferris|first6=Daniel P.|last7=König|first7=Peter|date=2017|title=Systems, Subjects, Sessions: To What Extent Do These Factors Influence EEG Data?|journal=Frontiers in Human Neuroscience|language=English|volume=11|pages=150|doi=10.3389/fnhum.2017.00150|issn=1662-5161|pmc=5371608|pmid=28424600|doi-access=free}} In particular, independent research groups at Macquarie University and Flinders University reported that it has comparable signal quality compared to other research-level devices.{{Cite journal|last1=Badcock|first1=Nicholas A.|last2=Mousikou|first2=Petroula|last3=Mahajan|first3=Yatin|last4=de Lissa|first4=Peter|last5=Thie|first5=Johnson|last6=McArthur|first6=Genevieve|date=2013-01-01|title=Validation of the Emotiv EPOC EEG gaming system for measuring research quality auditory ERPs|journal=PeerJ|volume=1|pages=e38|doi=10.7717/peerj.38|issn=2167-8359|pmc=3628843|pmid=23638374 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal
|title=Measurement of neural signals from inexpensive, wireless and dry EEG systems
|author1=Grummett, TS |author2=Leibbrandt, RE |author3=Lewis, TW |author4=DeLosAngeles, D |author5=Powers, DMW |author6=Willoughby, JO |author7=Pope, KJ |author8=Fitzgibbon, SP
|journal=Physiological Measurement
|volume=36
|number=7
|pages=1469–84
|year=2015
|publisher=IOP Publishing
|doi=10.1088/0967-3334/36/7/1469 |pmid=26020164 |bibcode=2015PhyM...36.1469G |doi-access=free }}
The company designed Emotiv Insight, a 5-channel headset, and raised capital to develop and manufacture the device and supporting software via crowdfunding site Kickstarter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tanttle/emotiv-insight-optimize-your-brain-fitness-and-per/description|title=EMOTIV INSIGHT: Optimize your brain fitness & performance|website=Kickstarter|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-12}} The campaign raised $1,643,117 against the original target of $100,000 USD and earned an Edison Award in April 2014.{{Cite web|url=http://www.edisonawards.com/news/improve-your-brain-power-with-emotiv-insight/|title=Improve Your Brain Power with Emotiv Insight - Edison Awards News|date=2014-04-10|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-12}}
In 2013, the company redesigned and released Emotiv EPOC+, a wireless, 14-channel mobile EEG system to target professional use in research and industrial applications with upgraded electronics including 9-axis inertial sensors, Bluetooth Smart and an improved power source.{{Cite web|url=https://emotiv.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201389439-What-is-EPOC-|title=What is EPOC+?|website=Knowledge Base|access-date=2016-08-10}}
In October 2015, Emotiv Insight was made available for general release.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tomsguide.com/us/emotiv-insight-mind-reading-hands-on,news-20195.html?platform=hootsuite|title=Emotiv Insight Headset Gives You Jedi Powers|date=2015-01-07|access-date=2016-08-10}}
In 2015, Emotiv joined the Disney/Techstars Accelerator program and presented at "Demo Day" in October the same year.{{Cite web|url=http://disneyaccelerator.com/companies/|title=2016 Companies - Disney Accelerator|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-12}}
Business
= Current headset models =
In 2013, Emotiv Inc. released EPOC+, which is a research-oriented wireless headset that records 14-channel EEG. Unlike conventional EEG systems that use sticky gels, it uses saline based wet sensors. There are two reference sensors at P3 and P4 locations. The EPOC+ measures both EEG and 9-axis motion data. Data is transmitted wirelessly through Bluetooth.{{Cite web|url=http://emotiv.com/epoc/|title=EMOTIV Epoc - 14 Channel Wireless EEG Headset|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-13}}
The Emotiv Insight was made available for general release in 2015. It is a 5-channel wireless EEG device covering frontal, temporal and parieto-occipital locations around the brain. It is designed for everyday use by individuals looking to understand and improve their own brains. It utilizes proprietary polymer sensors that are hydrophilic; they pull moisture from the air and skin.
= Software and SDK =
Emotiv provides a free companion app called Insight App{{Cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/emotiv-insight/id1031805596?mt=8|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422130110/https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/emotiv-insight/id1031805596?mt=8|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 22, 2017|title=Emotiv Insight on the App Store|website=App Store|access-date=2016-07-13}} for users to monitor their emotions. There are also pay-to-download games such as Arena,{{Cite web|url=http://emotiv.com/product/arena/|title=EMOTIV Arena - Emotiv|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160711115513/http://emotiv.com/product/arena/|archive-date=2016-07-11|url-status=dead}} which allows users to experience mental commands. EMOTIV provides a two-tier SDK for the EPOC: Community and Premium versions. The EMOTIV EPOC research & developer community has grown to over 70,000 people and spans globally{{Cite web|url=http://emotiv.com/developer/|title=EMOTIV SDK and Apps for Developers and proprietary research|language=en-US|access-date=2017-07-09}}
The 14 channel wireless EPOC+ is designed for research and brain-computer interface use, and EEG can be obtained with an Emotiv Pure.EEG subscription.{{cite web|title=Software for Wireless EEG systems - EMOTIV|url=https://www.emotiv.com/software/}}
= Controversy =
Emotiv has made access to raw data a separate paid option and implemented countermeasures to deter third-party software interoperating with headsets (more precisely their USB dongles; the project authors believe that the data flowing between a dongle and a headset is unencrypted) produced by Emotiv.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/openyou/emokit/blob/master/doc/emotiv_protocol.asciidoc|title = Emokit/Emotiv_protocol.asciidoc at master · openyou/Emokit| website=GitHub | date=11 July 2022 }} Despite that, free software has been developed that accesses the data captured by a headset.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/openyou/emokit|title=GitHub - openyou/Emokit: Open source driver for accessing raw data from the Emotiv EPOC EEG headset|website=GitHub |date=11 July 2022 }}
See also
References
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