Brainwave Mind Control Design



GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

ECE4040 Senior Design

Design Report

Fall 2001

Mind Control Group

James Lin,

Son Phan,

Michael Oduselu

Brainwave Mind Control Design

Objective

The objective of this report is to document and report on our current design and immediate design goals for the brainwave project. Our main goal in this stage is to find and design a suitable biofeedback amplifier. We have chosen to design an older version of the BrainMaster EEG monitor that was given to us by the founder. There have been many references to the BrainMaster project and other people building their own EEG monitor, therefore by building off something that has been tested, we hope to encounter fewer problems.

Block Diagrams

The previous group that worked on the brainwave project came up with an overall design represented in the block diagram below:

Figure 1. Proposed system from the previous brainwave group.

After reviewing their design and our proposed design, we have constructed a revised block diagram.

Figure 2. Revised block diagram of new system.

The new system shows some significant changes from the previous design. The second stage shows the amplifier and filter combined because the EEG monitor that we are proposing to build performs both functions. The output signal is a analog signal that will be converted into digital format through an analog/digital converter chip.

The signal is then calibrated though by adjusting the A/D circuit to get the best range of values to be inputted into the microprocessor. This can be done with variable resistance such as a potentiometer for each channel.

The fourth stage is the microprocessor where the signal is processed and synchronized with the computer. This will require buying a pre-made board with a microchip and various input ports on it that is ready for use, or building a board one by ourselves. We propose buying a completed board or one with all the parts ready to be assembled since designing a board will be a big task. John Peatman john.peatman@ece.gatech.edu , a professor here at Georgia Tech, teaches a class about microprocessors and may be of assistance. The board should then be connected to the computer via the serial port or USB port depending on the type of microchip board being used. Cypress Semiconductor produces a full speed USB microcontroller (EZ-USB) and has many different USB development kits, tools, and example code to work with if USB desired. Code will have to be written or obtained to interface the microchip with the computer at this stage.

During the code writing stage of the fourth stage, the next stage can be started. During this stage a program will have to coded up to collect data from the microcontroller and interface it with the transmitter. If a microchip development package with code for both ends can be obtained, these steps may be simplified. This will most likely involved C++ programming.

The transmitter is the device that will control the car’s movement. It will have to modified to be controlled by the computer.

Current Design Step

The current step of designing the system will focus on building the EEG monitor that will collect, amplify, and filter the brainwaves. We are using the plans for an old version of the brainmaster developed by the founder Thomas Collura. The EEG circuit is a two stage amplifier shown below:

Figure 3. Amplifier Schematic.

The parts for the EEG circuit are commercially available and were obtained online from Digikey () and Pioneer-Standard Electronics (). The total cost for the parts ranges about $30 - $50 depending on quality and extra parts. We used 1% metal film resistors and 5% polypropylene capacitors.

The first stage of the amplifier provides a gain of 50 from the user input. Quoted from the brainmaster plans, “The input amplifier IC-1 is an Analog Devices AD620 instrumentation amplifier, set up with a gain of 50. This gets the signal "out of the noise," and provides high input impedance and high common-mode rejection. The "AC" coupling due to R4 and C4, or R5 and C5, occurs with a long time-constant, and does not limit the low-frequency response. It also does not affect the CMRR, since it is not in the passband. It does, however, allow the inputs to IC-1 to be biased into the middle

of their common-mode range.

The amplifier IC-2 is used to provide an integrator, used as a low-pass filter developing the reference for IC-1. This results in a baseline-correction that produces a low-frequency cutoff at 1.6 Hz. It also allows the output of IC-1 to operate near its center, providing good linearity.”

Stage 2 has a gain of 390 for a total gain of 19500 for the entire amplifier. In addition the second stage provides a frequency response to 34 Hz. The schematic also shows a input voltage of 2 volts in addition to the VSS supply voltage. This voltage is used as a midpoint between the supplies. The circuit is specified to work with supply voltages from 5V to 36V.

A summary of the specifications are listed below:

Type: differential

Inputs: (+), (-), and "ground" return

Gain: 20,000

Bandwidth: 1.7 - 34 Hz

Input Impedance: 10 Mohms

Input Range: 200 uV full-scale

Output Range: 4 volts: from 0.0 to 4.0 volts

Resolution: 0.80 uV/quantum

Input Noise: < 1.0 uV p-p

CMRR: > 100dB

Our current progress is in the building and testing of the EEG circuit. A picture of circuit in its current progress is pictured below:

The next steps in the design plan are to add on another stage for the midpoint voltage. The circuit should be able to operate with just the two stages and two power supplies, but one power supply is more convenient. The brainmaster plans also provide the schematics to implement the midpoint voltage and a circuit on obtaining a clean voltage source.

Figure 4. Midpoint voltage circuit.

Component values for Figure 4 are:

R0: 50K 1% metal film

R1: 100K 1% metal film

R2: 100K 1% metal film

C3: 0.1 uF mylar

[pic]

Figure 5. Circuit to get a clean power supply.

Figure 5 shows a circuit used to obtain a clean regulated power supply. The components included a 7805 regulator. The other components values are:

B1: 9V battery, or 6 "AA", "C", or "D" cells

C1: 10uF tantalum

C2: 0.1uF mylar

Once the circuit has been assembled, we hope to see some oscillations on the oscilloscope. The circuit can be tested by trying to record the heartbeat from one hand to the other. If a good signal is obtained, the circuit will be used to try to obtain a brainwave. To improve results, the circuit can be soldered onto a pre-holed prototype board to reduce capacitive coupling.

Using the Brainwaves

First of all, we need to know if we have or can attain a common thinking pattern. Our patterns differ in function of geographic origin, tradition and culture and

access to current technological developments. Unfortunately, function of the native language as well. But we can learn. And adaptation to modern technology

is learnable, so it may be possible to learn a common representation of ideas (after all, we are the same species, so we should have similar thinking patterns and

learning capabilities).

The question is: how do we get to these common thinking patterns? Again, if we find a way to communicate with a computer, it is doable. The computer will learn from different groups of people and then look for similarities. Machine learning (and reinforcement learning) can be used to discover the specifics of thinking of a group of people or individuals.

The brain operates in different states which output different types of waves. One possible of using the waves to navigate by controlling which state our brain is operating in with emotions. If a person can train the way he feels, then he may have the power to control the output the EEG to match his thoughts and emotions. Figure 6 shows a guide of which type of brainwaves are associated with different emotions.

Figure 6. Guide to brainwave navigation.

Appendix

I. Amplifier Parts

1. AD620

[pic]

FEATURES:

- Gain Range: 1 - 1000

- Wide Power Supply Range: (+ -) 2.3 V – (+-) 18 V

- Available in 8-Lead DIP and SOIC Packaging

- Low Power, 1.3 mA max Supply Current

- For more information:

2. OP90

[pic]

FEATURES:

- Single Supply Operation: +1.6V to +36

- Dual Supply Operation: (+-) 0.8V to (+-) 18V

- Low Supply Current: 20u A Max

- High Output Drive: 5m A Min

- Low Input Offset Voltage: 150u V Max

- High Open-Loop Gain: 700V/mV Min

- Outstanding FSRR: 5.6u V/V Max

For more information:

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[pic]

Figure 4. EEG circuit on proto-board for testing.

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