Muse Headband: Measuring Tool or a Collaborative Gadget?

Abstract

We have conducted an observational study on persons participating passively in public lectures. During a lecture we were measuring the level of focus of listeners using the Muse EEG-headband as well as conducting an observational study of the usage of the device by experiment participants. The purpose was twofold: to understand to what extent commercially available portable EEG-devices can record synchronicity of experience among the audience and to check what kind of usage participants make of this multi-purpose device. While we got some preliminary insights, we found that the usefulness in measuring EEG signal of consumer-grade devices such as Muse is extremely limited in non-laboratory conditions.