Puzzlebox Brainstorms

Puzzlebox Pyrokinesis

Puzzlebox Productions, LLC — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:32:56 GMT

Puzzlebox would like to thank members of the Flaming Lotus Girls (FLG) for the opportunity to integrate brainwave control of flame effects during a portion of the premiere of Tympani Lambada, their latest fire sculpture.

Puzzlebox Pyrokinesis is a specialized version of Puzzlebox Brainstorms which issues RS-485 control commands to individual solenoid-based poofers. A "poofer" collects, releases, and combusts gaseous fuel. Poofers are located at 14 points along each of the two archs found on the sculpture. Either arch can be controlled individually to produce various effects whose intensity increases proportionately to a user's mental state of concentration and/or meditation, as measured by a NeuroSky MindWave EEG headset.

For example, the "bridge" effect starts at one end of an arch and every few seconds a number of poofers are activated, corresponding to user's focus. As higher levels of attention are maintained that number increases until fireballs are produced across the entire arch. Likewise the "center" effect starts at the middle of an arch and proceeds outward in both directions based on realtime measurements. Alternatively, any individual poofer's solenoid can be activated manually for testing purposes.

More information about the elegant design and masterful engineering, building, and installation of Tympani Lambada can be found on their kickstarter page. If you would like to support their ongoing and future efforts please donate to FLG!

Puzzlebox Receives Guinness World Record

Puzzlebox Productions, LLC — Wed, 25 May 2011 20:23:58 GMT

On March 17, 2011, software engineered by Puzzlebox was successfully used to establish a new Guinness World Record during a filming of the season finale of UK's The Gadget Show. In association with our partners at NeuroSky, MindWave EEG headsets were employed by the hosts of the show to control a crane weighing over 60 tons, picking up and maneuvering a car across a warehouse, all using the power of their minds.

The software was custom-designed for the occasion, working in coordination with an engineering team from Loughborough University to manipulate the crane's controls, based on the levels of concentration and focus of the hosts' brainwaves.

More information about the solution is available in this PDF

Readers in the UK can view the complete television episode which aired April 12, 2011 online here

And finally here is NeuroSky's own press release

Puzzlebox Brainstorms featured in Wired Magazine

Puzzlebox Productions, LLC — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:34:59 GMT

Puzzlebox is pleased to announce that the recent Instructables write-up of our Brain-Controlled RC Helicopter project was featured in the April 2011 issue of Wired Magazine, as the final entry in an article entitled "Your Guide to 21 Awesome DIY Projects"

Wired Magazine, April 2011

Puzzlebox Brainstorms 0.6.0 Released

Puzzlebox Productions, LLC — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:25:23 GMT

Puzzlebox has released an update to "Puzzlebox Brainstorms" which allows for BCI (Brain-Computer Interface) control of robotic vehicles, radio controlled helicopters, and electric wheelchairs through commercially available consumer EEG headsets such as the NeuroSky MindWave, NeuroSky MindSet and Emotiv EPOC.

New Features include:

- Support for iRobot Roomba and iRobot Create robots from iRobot
- Support for selecting movement directions via EMG-based "Blink Detection"

Puzzlebox Brainstorms 0.6.0 - iRobot support and Blink Detection

Many thanks to Matthew Boggan from University of California, Berkeley for his contribution to iRobot support

Puzzlebox Brainstorms is Seeking Schools for 2011-2012

Puzzlebox Productions, LLC — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 03:40:53 GMT

Puzzlebox Brainstorms is eager to continue expanding our program to new schools, teachers, and parents. We have recently visited the campuses of Hilltop Prep and Octorara High School, featuring brief lessons in neuroscience and the history and current state of the art in Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) and sharing some of our technologies which incorporate attention and focus exercises to drive robots, fly helicopters, and play video games.

If you or someone you know would be interested to participate please do not hesitate to contact us.

Brainstorms at Hilltop Prep
Hilltop Prep is a co-educational day school which serves bright students with learning disabilities in grades five through twelve, offering an individually structured, rigorous curriculum that is complemented by a dynamic counseling support and mentoring program.

Brainstorms at Octorara High School
Octorara High School has approximate 900 students in grades nine through twelve. Their mission states: "We will consistently strive to provide a relevant and rigorous academic program that promotes critical thinking skills and the essential character traits necessary for each student to be successful in life after graduation."

Puzzlebox at GDC 2011

Puzzlebox Productions, LLC — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 01:58:36 GMT

Puzzlebox has announced the debut of our new product Puzzlebox Jigsaw which we are demoing all this week at GDC 2011, the Game Developers Conference at the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco. Please feel free to visit us at Booth #2021.

Many thanks to NeuroSky for contributing space for our demonstrations.

Instructables Awards

Puzzlebox Productions, LLC — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 01:22:24 GMT

Puzzlebox Brainstorms is pleased to announce First Place awards in the both the Instructables Humana and Instructables Epilog Challenge contests for our Brain-Controlled Wheelchair project.

Press: NBC 10 Philadelphia - The Teacher Says

Puzzlebox Productions, LLC — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 22:14:02 GMT

NBC's local news affiliate in Philadelphia visited the Rosemont school last week to interview the students and teachers who have been using Puzzlebox Brainstorms in their classroom since this past September.

Media: NBC 10 Philadelphia - The Teacher Says

We are currently seeking additional schools and facilities which may be interested in collaboration and expanding the program.

Hacking Guide and Video Walkthrough: Brain-Controll RC Helicopter

Puzzlebox Productions, LLC — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 23:27:50 GMT

Along with support for Electric Wheelchairs, the latest release of Puzzlebox Brainstorms has added support for flying Radio Controlled helicopters with the mind, as documented in this new write-up for Instructables.com:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Brain-C ... elicopter/

Included is a video walkthrough which step-by-step demonstrates the complete hacking process from unboxing through to final takeoff using high-speed video playback:

Puzzlebox Brainstorms - Radio Controlled Helicopter

A special thanks to Miloh Alexander and the rest of the crew at the Noisebridge hackerspace in San Francisco who helped with this project.

Press: Rosemont School Students Demonstrate Cutting-Edge Technology...

Puzzlebox Productions, LLC — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:05:18 GMT

Rosemont School students demonstrate cutting-edge technology by controlling robots with brain waves

By Halimah Barnett

Rosemont School of the Holy Child middle-school students are making big waves with the computer software they use to energize robots.

“What we do is we take EEG headsets, and we run software which allows us to control devices like LEGOs, helicopters, wheelchairs and so on using our minds,” said Castellotti. “I used to work at the Rosemont School when I was in college and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring something to the kids they would enjoy that would help them learn a little bit about science, neuroscience, biology and physics.”

The students sit in front of a computer screen running the data-collection program. They put on the headsets that transmit brain waves through the computer. Their signal strength and concentration level directly correspond to the motion to the robots.

...

The robot experiments are linked to the unit on electromagnetic waves the sixth-graders are studying in science class.

“Our unit has been on sound and light and we started this program looking at the waves and our brain waves but it has morphed into them learning to collect data and focus their attention on being able to move robots, which connects to our robotics program. It is a great overlap between the two programs,” said Rosemont School science teacher Karen Grossman.

“The students have just taken to it amazingly. They love it and they have a great time doing it,” she added.

Link to the complete article at Main Line Media News