Project Concept
Neuromation is a new interface for home automation that will replace the standard touchscreen/remote interface. By analyzing brain signals and interpreting one's intentions we can control the devices within our environment.
Motivation
There are an increasing amount of home automation companies that are all handling the task of home automation using a central processing device. You then interact with it via the device, a mobile app, or the internet. However this does not provide the user with a native way of interacting with their surroundings. Instead we want to be able to interact using just our thoughts and intention of doing something.
Competitive Analysis
| Competitor | Home Automation | Uses brain for control | Available for purchase | ||
| Flying a Helicopter (Zhejiang University Researcher) |
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Technical Specifications
Architecture
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Hardware
- Neurosky Headset
- Arduino Ethernet
- Arduino Fio
- Infrared emitter and detectors
- XBee
- Misc. Relays and Motor Controllers
Software
- Android Application: Interpreting the data from Neurosky and sending requests to the server.
- Arduino Programming: Handles all the device and server computation.
Protocols
- Bluetooth: Communication from Neurosky to smartphone
- WiFi: Communiction from smartphone to Arduino/XBee server
- Infrared: Used for device selection by headset
- XBee: Communication from Arduino/XBee server to the devices.
Requirements
- Activate only devices that you are looking at and intend to open/turn on.
- Secure communications
- ~5s response time
- ~15 hours battery life
- Manual override
- Range of 30 feet
Risks and Mitigations
| Risks | Mitigation |
| Complexity of analyzing brainwaves | Through testing, develop a method for calibrating the headset so the data is consistent and easy to apply fuzzy logic to. |
| Infrared Interference | Use a 38Khz modulated signal that is encoded with a specific message |
| Long attention span to control a device |
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