Sans Tracas: A Cross-platform Tool for Online EEG Experiments.

Abstract

Driven by a desire to democratize electroencephalography (EEG) research, we created Sans Tracas -a cross-platform web application for running EEG experiments online. A collaborative effort between cognitive neuroscientists and HCI researchers, the platform is designed via a multidisciplinary lens to be easy to use by researchers and study participants alike. For researchers, the platform allows users to augment any behavioural study deployed on online platforms with EEG data recordings from the commercially-available InteraXon Muse EEG device. For end-users who have access to the Muse, the platform is focused on having them perform entire EEG studies on their own from the comfort of their homes. We conducted a pilot study to test the usability of our developed platform. The results suggest that participants found the platform easy to use, useful, and had fun participating in EEG experiments independently and are now more interested in EEG and Brain Computer Interface (BCI) research than before. We contribute to HCI by presenting the design, development, and preliminary evaluation of a cross-platform application that allows users to conduct EEG experiments online using low-cost, commercially-available devices. This platform is a first step towards enabling greater access to research involving electroencephalography around the world. CCS CONCEPTS• Human-centered computing; • Human computer interaction (HCI); • HCI design and evaluation methods; • Usability testing; Laboratory experiments; User studies.; • Interaction paradigms; • Web-based interaction; Graphical user interfaces.;