We're excited to share that Octopus 16 has been featured on CNX Software, a leading source of news on embedded systems, IoT, and open-source hardware.
Play Games With Your Brain Signals
In their article "Play games with your brain signals using Octopus 16 wireless EEG device," CNX Software highlights how Octopus 16 lets users play computer games using EEG—with no hands (or implants) needed.
A Coin-Sized Brain-Computer Interface
As the article notes, Octopus 16 packs 16 electrodes into a device that's far more compact than typical BCI solutions, which usually require a cap kit with 8 to 16 electrodes and wires. The board measures biosignals including EEG (electroencephalography), EMG (electromyography), and ECG (electrocardiography).
At its core are two Texas Instruments ADS131M08 24-bit, 8-channel, simultaneous-sampling delta-sigma ADCs, delivering 16 channels of research-grade signal capture through 18 spring-loaded pogo pins.
Built on the XIAO ESP32-S3
CNX Software details how Octopus 16 connects to a XIAO ESP32-S3 or XIAO ESP32-C6 board, powered over USB. The XIAO board then acts as a BLE HID gamepad and integrates with the open-source PiEEG-Server.
Fully Open Source
The coverage emphasizes that the software part of the project is open-source—the Arduino sketches and Python programs are on GitHub, with hardware and software documentation available on the PiEEG website. Readers can also try an online demo/simulation without hardware using a virtual 8-channel device.
Years of Brain-Computer Interface Work
CNX Software has followed Ildar Rakhmatulin and Youssef El Abbassi's brain-computer interface projects for years, covering devices such as the Raspberry Pi 5-based PiEEG laptop kit, the PiEEG shield for Raspberry Pi, and the ardEEG shield for Arduino UNO R4 WiFi. As the article puts it, Octopus 16 relies on the same principle but is their most compact device so far.
Read the Full Coverage
Check out the complete article on CNX Software to learn more about the Octopus 16 hardware, specifications, and what it takes to get started.
Want to build with Octopus 16? Buy it on Elecrow, print the enclosure, and read the documentation.
