Home automation system using EEG waves

Abstract

A method for understanding the electrical activity of a human’s brain is called Electroencephalography (EEG). It is a noninvasive method where we make use of surface electrodes that are placed on the scalp and these electrodes detect minute
electrical charges that arise from the activity of the brain cells. This method allows us to monitor the brain activity in a
non-invasive manner, both spatially and temporally. Certain neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS (Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis), affects the motor nerves that permit voluntary movements and muscle control and eventually causes the
death of these neurons controlling voluntary muscles. This paper describes the design of a circuit that will make use of the
alpha waves generated by the brain to control common home appliances such as fans, lights etc., to facilitate patients
suffering from such diseases. This is a complete hardware-based project which does not use any software. The EEG data
acquisition has been done using NI myDAQ (National Instruments myData Acquisition) assistant, which is a portable and
programmable measuring instrument, designed for experimentation in or outside the lab. Blinking the eyes while recording
the alpha wave increases its amplitude, which is compared to a predefined threshold voltage by means of a microcontroller.
When the amplitude of the alpha wave surpasses the threshold voltage, a pulse is generated that is used to drive a relay.
The relay then enables the patient to operate the various home appliances.