OpenBCI + 3D-Printed Headphones = Open ExG Headphones – An Open-Source Research Platform for Biopotential Earable Applications

Abstract

Earables research is a promising field in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) due to the variety of observable phenomena that can be captured by sensors placed in the ear region. However, this field is hindered by the use of custom-built hardware and software, which can create barriers for less experienced researchers and lead to high assessment heterogeneity. To address this challenge, we have developed a platform for electrophysiological ear-centered research. This platform combines the established amplifier hardware and recording software stack of the OpenBCI biosignal ExG system with a low-cost 3D-printed over-ear headphone design, based on electrode positioning best practices from neuroscientific research. To demonstrate the flexibility and potential of this platform, we have conducted two studies replicating classical EEG, EOG, ECG, and EMG patterns, and showing that the system is reliable and easy to use in a promising application scenario: detecting mental workload levels across multiple tasks.