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Main Authors: Komal, Komal, Cleary, Frances, Narayanan, Ram Prasadh, Wells, John, Buiatti, Marco, Bennett, Louise
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.19348
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author Komal, Komal
Cleary, Frances
Narayanan, Ram Prasadh
Wells, John
Buiatti, Marco
Bennett, Louise
author_facet Komal, Komal
Cleary, Frances
Narayanan, Ram Prasadh
Wells, John
Buiatti, Marco
Bennett, Louise
contents The wearable EEG device sector is advancing rapidly, enabling fast and reliable detection of brain activity for investigating brain function and pathology. However, many current EEG systems remain challenging for users with neurological conditions due to bulky wiring, lengthy skin preparation, gel-induced discomfort, risk of irritation, and high cost, all of which limit long-term monitoring. This study presents a proof-of-concept smart modular headband incorporating adjustable, replaceable embroidered electrodes for EEG acquisition. Compared with conventional devices, the smart headband reduces wiring complexity, removes the need for skin preparation, and minimizes irritation associated with gel-based electrodes. Its modular structure allows adjustable fitting without requiring multiple size options, enhancing comfort and adaptability for everyday EEG monitoring. The smart headband prototype was tested on 10 healthy university students using three behavioral tasks: (1) eyes open/closed, (2) auditory oddball, and (3) visual oddball paradigms. The smart headband successfully captured alpha peaks during the eyes-open/closed task (p = 0.01) and reliably recorded the event-related potentials associated with the oddball effects - the auditory P300 (p = 0.014) and the visual N170 (p = 0.013) - demonstrating an equivalent performance to a commercial sponge-based EEG cap. A user survey indicated improved comfort and usability, with participants reporting that the soft, structurally designed headband enhanced wearability relative to a conventional cap. Overall, this prototype provides a comfortable, modular, and cost-effective solution to reliable EEG monitoring in real-world applications.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_19348
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Design and Validation of a Modular Smart Headband with Embroidered Electrodes for Comfortable EEG Monitoring
Komal, Komal
Cleary, Frances
Narayanan, Ram Prasadh
Wells, John
Buiatti, Marco
Bennett, Louise
Emerging Technologies
C.3; J.2; J.7
The wearable EEG device sector is advancing rapidly, enabling fast and reliable detection of brain activity for investigating brain function and pathology. However, many current EEG systems remain challenging for users with neurological conditions due to bulky wiring, lengthy skin preparation, gel-induced discomfort, risk of irritation, and high cost, all of which limit long-term monitoring. This study presents a proof-of-concept smart modular headband incorporating adjustable, replaceable embroidered electrodes for EEG acquisition. Compared with conventional devices, the smart headband reduces wiring complexity, removes the need for skin preparation, and minimizes irritation associated with gel-based electrodes. Its modular structure allows adjustable fitting without requiring multiple size options, enhancing comfort and adaptability for everyday EEG monitoring. The smart headband prototype was tested on 10 healthy university students using three behavioral tasks: (1) eyes open/closed, (2) auditory oddball, and (3) visual oddball paradigms. The smart headband successfully captured alpha peaks during the eyes-open/closed task (p = 0.01) and reliably recorded the event-related potentials associated with the oddball effects - the auditory P300 (p = 0.014) and the visual N170 (p = 0.013) - demonstrating an equivalent performance to a commercial sponge-based EEG cap. A user survey indicated improved comfort and usability, with participants reporting that the soft, structurally designed headband enhanced wearability relative to a conventional cap. Overall, this prototype provides a comfortable, modular, and cost-effective solution to reliable EEG monitoring in real-world applications.
title Design and Validation of a Modular Smart Headband with Embroidered Electrodes for Comfortable EEG Monitoring
topic Emerging Technologies
C.3; J.2; J.7
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.19348