EMOTIV Insight

EMOTIV Insight – 5-Channel Wireless EEG System

EMOTIV Insight is a lightweight, portable, 5-channel EEG system designed for recording electrical brain activity and implementing BCI (Brain-Computer Interface) projects. The device's design was designed for research, education, and experimental applications, as well as for developing applications utilizing real-time EEG data.

The Insight utilizes five EEG channels arranged according to the standard 10-20 electrode placement system: AF3, AF4, T7, T8, and Pz. Additional CMS/DRL reference electrodes are placed in the left mastoid region. The hydrophilic, semi-dry polymer sensors allow for quick setup using a small amount of fluid, eliminating the need for traditional EEG gel.

The system records EEG signals at a rate of 128 samples/s per channel, with 16-bit resolution and a bandwidth of 0.5-43 Hz. The device also features a 9-axis IMU module, including an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer, enabling simultaneous recording of head movements and orientation.

Wireless communication uses Bluetooth Low Energy with Bluetooth 5 support. According to the manufacturer, the built-in 480 mAh lithium-polymer battery provides up to 20 hours of operation on a single charge.

Insight is compatible with the EMOTIV software ecosystem and can be used for, among other things, recording raw EEG data, analyzing brain activity, creating experiments, handling mental commands, recognizing selected facial expressions, and building custom BCI applications via the Cortex SDK/API.

This product is intended for research, education, application development, and personal use. EMOTIV emphasizes that its products are not offered as medical devices and are not intended to diagnose or treat diseases.

Key Features

5-Channel EEG System
EEG Channels: AF3, AF4, T7, T8, Pz
2 CMS/DRL Reference Electrodes
Electrode Arrangement Compatible with the 10-20 System
Hydrophilic Semi-Dry Polymer Sensors
Fast Measurement Setup – Manufacturer Declares Approximately 1-2 Minutes
Real-Time EEG Recording
EEG Sampling Rate: 128 Samples/Sec Per Channel
EEG Resolution: 16 Bits
Sensitivity: 1 LSB = 0.1275 µV
Frequency Response: 0.5-43 Hz
Digital Notch Filters: 50 Hz and 60 Hz
Built-in 5th Order Digital Sinc Filter
Input Dynamic Range: 8400 µVpp
Input Coupling: AC
Wireless Data Transmission
Bluetooth Low Energy
Bluetooth 5 Support
9-Axis System IMU motion measurement
3-axis accelerometer
3-axis gyroscope
3-axis magnetometer
Head movement recording
Built-in battery
Operating time up to 20 hours
Raw EEG signal recording capability – depending on license
Mental Commands support – depending on license
Performance Metrics support – depending on license
Detection of selected facial expressions – depending on license
EMOTIV software compatibility
Cortex SDK/API support for BCI applications
Research, educational, and development applications

Technical Specifications

EEG
Number of EEG channels: 5
Electrode positions: AF3, AF4, T7, T8, Pz
Number of reference electrodes: 2
Reference electrodes: CMS/DRL
Reference electrode position: left mastoid process
Electrode placement system: International 10-20 system
Sensor material: Hydrophilic semi-dry polymer
Sampling rate: 128 samples/s per channel
Resolution: 16 bits
Voltage resolution: 1 LSB = 0.1275 µV
Frequency band: 0.5–43 Hz
Network filter: 50 Hz / 60 Hz digital notch
Filtration: 5th-order digital Sinc filter
Dynamic range: 8400 µVpp
Coupling mode: AC

Motion sensors
IMU module: ICM-20948
Number of measurement axes: 9
Accelerometer: 3-axis
Accelerometer range: ±8 g
Gyroscope: 3-axis
Gyroscope range: ±2000°/s
Orientation data: Up to four normalized quaternions can be converted
Magnetometer: 3-axis
Magnetometer range: ±12 Gauss
Motion data sampling rate: 32 Hz
Motion data resolution: 16 bits

Connectivity
Communication: Wireless
Interface: Bluetooth Low Energy
Supported standard: Bluetooth 5

Power supply
Battery type: Internal lithium-polymer battery
Capacity: 480 mAh
Declared operating time: Up to 20 hours on a single charge
Battery: Rechargeable

Supported Analytics Features

The availability of the following features depends on the software used and your EMOTIV license.

Mental Commands - mental commands
neutral state + up to 4 trained commands in one training profile
Performance Metrics - metrics of user activity and state
Excitement - arousal
Engagement - involvement
Relaxation - relaxation
Interest - interest
Stress - stress
Attention - attention
Blink recognition
Left or right eye blink recognition
Surprise recognition
Frown recognition
Smile recognition
Jaw clenching recognition

Software required for operation

An EmotivID account and EMOTIV Launcher software are required to configure the device and use the EMOTIV ecosystem.

EMOTIV Launcher supports, among other things, For:

Connecting the EEG headset to a computer
Managing the Bluetooth connection
Checking the quality of electrode contact
Checking the battery status
Device management
Installing and launching the EMOTIV application
License management
Access to the Cortex SDK

Note: Purchasing the EMOTIV Insight kit does not automatically include the purchase of all software licenses.

The manufacturer indicates that access to specific Insight applications, data, and features may require a separate license or subscription.

Depending on the application, you can use, among other things:

EMOTIV Launcher – the basic environment for connecting and managing the device
EmotivPRO – recording, visualizing, organizing, and analyzing EEG data, as well as creating experiments
EmotivBCI – applications and experiments related to the brain-computer interface
BrainViz – visualization of brain activity
Cortex SDK/API – creating custom applications using EEG and BCI data

Access to raw EEG data, some metrics, and advanced features depends on the selected license plan.

EmotivPRO – Available Software Variants

The manufacturer offers several EmotivPRO license levels:
EmotivPRO Lite
EmotivPRO Standard
EmotivPRO Standard Team
EmotivPRO Performance

The scope of features, data export capabilities, access to metrics, integrations, and analytical features depends on the selected license option.

EMOTIV Launcher System Requirements
Windows
Windows 10 64-bit, version 1809 or later
Windows 11
macOS
macOS 12 Monterey or later
Linux
Ubuntu 22.04 or later
64-bit version
Beta support
Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi OS / Debian 12
32-bit version
Beta support

The manufacturer notes that support for Ubuntu and Raspberry Pi is limited/Beta and may be dependent on changes to the operating system.

Important Information

EMOTIV Insight is a device intended for research, education, BCI technology development, and personal use. It is not marketed as a medical EEG system and is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease.