Neurosky Hacking Star Wars Force Trainer

Cooperative multitasking code for Arduino processing of high-speed serial data from Neurosky devices, such as Star Wars Force Trainer, using Arduino Uno.

Written by Brianna Roskind and Jim Roskind

The code transforms the "toy" headset that drives a game, into an EEG system that can graph any/all of the 8 EEG powerbands, plus Meditation and Attention signals, in real-time. Pushbuttons allow for selection of signals to be plotted. Uses Arduino IDE Serial Plotter to display results, and 10 pushbuttons to control the selection of displayed signals.

Demonstrates techniques for cooperative multitasking, where input signal (57,600 baud serial input) MUST be processed in real time, and additional code MUST NOT block or delay that processing. Includes instrumentation to measure the effectiveness of the approach (which allows others to modify the code, and debug problems that might be added by additional (unplanned?) delays).

Requires electrical connection to "T" terminal (and ground) inside the Force Trainer headset (see comments in ForceTrainer.ino file).

The protocol definition can be reviewed in Jan 2017 doc: http://developer.neurosky.com/docs/doku.php?id=thinkgear_communications_protocol

or a May 2015 doc: http://developer.neurosky.com/docs/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=mindset_communications_protocol.pdf

or a Jun 2010 doc: http://wearcam.org/ece516/mindset_communications_protocol.pdf

There have been small changes and additions to the protocol (in the above docs) over time, and you may need to make slight modifications if you're using an especially old or new(er) version of a chip.

The "toy" (Star Wars Force Trainer II) can currently (5/2018) be purchased at Amazon for $29, which makes this a cool and inexpensive project: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Trainer-Brain-Sensing-Hologram-Electronic/dp/B00X5CCDYQ

You can see discussion of several devices for integration here: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-hack-EEG-toys-with-arduino/ or http://www.frontiernerds.com/brain-hack