The field of neurotechnology has been advancing rapidly in recent years, opening up to safe and effective non-invasive interfaces that can deliver tiny milliamp currents to the right stimulation location on the head, neck or body. One example of the new players in this field is BrainPatch.AI, a Cambridge-based neurotech startup, which has developed an advanced brain stimulation headset that aims to give wearers a meditative and stress-free state of mind.
BrainPatch co-founder and CEO, Dr Nickolai Vysokov, explains: “Our innovative headphones are designed to gain indirect access to the vagus and the vestibular nerves via electrodes placed just behind the ears. The vagus nerve regulates the ‘rest and digest’ response of the nervous system, and stimulating it is known to lead to reduction of stress, improvement of heart rate variability, better communication between the mind and the body, and an improved overall state of wellbeing in general.”
Prototyping at mind-bending speed
Ordinarily, the time and effort required to produce a range of working prototypes would take larger companies years to accomplish, let alone a startup, which is why BrainPatch.AI chose to use a range of Arduino boards for their initial designs and testing. What began as a simple Arduino UNO-based circuit quickly evolved into an AI-enabled neuromodulator, leveraging the Arduino Nano 33 IoT’s built-in internet connectivity. Mobile devices are connected to the board via Bluetooth® Low Energy to allow precision protocol delivery and ability to adjust the protocol through Python® and integration with other devices. Altogether, the capability to leverage Arduino’s vast collection of libraries and hardware ecosystem ensured rapid progress could be made in a cost-effective manner.
Finding like-minded partners is the key to success!
As a leading startup in the emerging neurotechnology space, BrainPatch.AI had the opportunity to meet with Arduino co-founder Massimo Banzi at Hardware Pioneers Max 2023 in London. The team was eager to demonstrate how effective their neuro stimulation device is, and to share how integrating Arduino hardware enabled them to move quickly – and can also be the go-to solution for many other startups and neurotechnology enthusiasts in the future. Nickolai adds, “Arduino is simply the best solution for any hardware / middleware / software startup prototyping, and we were blessed to have Arduino products and third-party libraries available when we needed them the most, to kickstart the process of transformation from ideas onto the physical objects. And now, we are ready to share our technology and our libraries with the world and other startups. If you are a co-founder of a startup, you must try our device when you get overstretched and overstressed. It’s life changing – and all thanks to Arduino.”
The current iteration of the company’s e-Meditation and VR enhancement products along with more information about the science behind non-invasive neuromodulation can be found here on BrainPatch’s website.
