PiEEG XR
A face mask with ten electrodes that swaps into your VR headset. Your expressions and brain state go straight into XR.
The silicone mask replaces the headset’s facial interface. A small box on the head strap holds dual ADS1299 converters and an STM32WB, and streams over Bluetooth LE 5 to the headset, a phone or VRChat.
- Channels
- 8, plus REF and BIAS
- Electrodes
- 10 flat dry Ag/AgCl
- Converters
- Dual ADS1299
- Noise
- 1.0 µVpp
- Wireless
- Bluetooth LE 5
- Power
- 5 V over USB-C
Where to use it
The mask sits where your face meets the headset: over the forehead, temples and cheeks. That’s the right place for facial muscles, blinks and frontal brain activity. Pick a use case and try the live demo.
Simulated signal to show the effect. Real recordings are noisier.
How to set it up
Swap the mask, mount the box, power it, and prove the signal is real before you record. Eight steps, with the checks from the XR noise guide built in.
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1
Check what you need
Each mask and box is shaped for one headset model. A unit built for the Meta Quest 3 fits only the Meta Quest 3, so check yours matches.
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2
Replace the face mask
Remove the headset’s original facial interface. Line up the four buckles on the PiEEG XR mask, then snap the two back buckles first and the two front buckles after.
Prefer to keep your own mask? You can take just the silicone insert out of the PiEEG XR mask and fit it into your setup.
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3
Mount the BCI box on the strap
The box is held in place by the headset’s own head strap. Take the strap off, seat the box against the headset, and put the strap back on over it. Then route the cable from the mask to the box.
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4
Power it on
Plug a 5 V supply into the box’s USB-C port. An LED lights up inside the box, and it starts advertising over Bluetooth as
PiEEG XR.Box not showing up? It’s almost always power. Pick a supply on the right to see what to expect.
Choose how you’ll power it. -
5
Prep the skin and fit the mask
Movement is the hardest condition for EEG, so preparation decides whether you get data or noise. Do this every session.
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6
Connect, then prove the signal is real
Connect from BodyPress in the headset or on Android, or with the live demo at pieeg.com: turn Bluetooth on and pick
PiEEG XR. Let the band-pass filter settle for a few seconds, then run the tests. They take under a minute.The blink test is your one-second sanity check. If a hard blink doesn’t show on the forehead channels, fix the fit before anything else. The alpha test needs electrodes at the back of the head, so it’s only for the academic version.
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7
Record, then clean in software
Record 20 to 30 seconds standing still first. That clean baseline lets you compare the moving data later. Note the times of big movements as you go.
Filtering can’t rescue a channel that was saturated by motion. Getting the fit right is always worth more than processing afterwards.
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8
If Bluetooth won’t connect: update the firmware
The fix is usually a new firmware file. The ST-Link programmer and its cables ship in the package. Connect it to your computer, install STM32CubeProgrammer, wire it to the board over SWD, then Connect, open the hex file, upload, disconnect and reset.
If the ST-Link isn’t recognised, update its driver and reconnect. Hover a wire to trace it.
Before you put it on anyone
- PiEEG XR is a research setup for research only. It isn’t a medical or consumer medical device and isn’t meant for diagnosis or treatment.
- Power it only from a 5 V power bank or the headset’s own battery, never from a wall adapter.
- Take regular breaks from VR, and stop if the wearer feels dizzy, sick or uncomfortable.
- Clean the pads and the skin between users. Stop if the skin becomes irritated.
- Don’t use it with a pacemaker or other implanted device without asking a physician.