High School / HS-17
Available Grades 9–12 Biosignals Computing & data
Build a battery-powered single-channel EEG recorder, compare FFT alpha band power with eyes open and closed, and train a simple classifier to switch an LED, tested against chance. Educational and non-medical.
Students build a single-channel, battery-powered EEG/EMG recorder (Upside Down Labs BioAmp EXG Pill + ESP32 Feather V2, Bluetooth to a laptop), calibrate it in microvolts, learn to recognise blinks, jaw clenching and 60 Hz interference, compute band power with an FFT, test whether alpha power rises with eyes closed (and report it honestly, including people where it doesn't), and train a one-feature classifier that switches an LED, tested against chance with held-out blocks.
Students will:
Every high school pack includes worked math and physics, prediction-versus-measurement labs, at least two design-and-test iterations, data logging, a rubric, and documentation templates, plus printable Builder's Corner build journal pages.
Parts, specs, quantities, and estimated unit costs, with places to buy. Prices change; anything marked as an estimate is an estimate. Links were checked when the BOM was written.
Isolator check: Before first use, each station's isolator must pass the build-guide B1c bench check (upload and boot with Bluetooth on through the isolator). If it fails, upload with the battery OFF and accept the reset loop until USB is removed; never remove the isolator.
Tindie stock: B2 and B3 (Upside Down Labs on Tindie) could not be re-confirmed in stock (Tindie returned 403 on 2026-10-13). Check stock before ordering; any pre-gelled Ag/AgCl snap electrodes (ECG type) substitute for B3.
Totals are computed from the line items below. Prices were read from vendor pages on the dates shown and will change. Rows tagged estimate have no verified link and are planning numbers only.
| ID | Part & spec | Qty | Unit (typical) | Line (typical) | Where to buy | Cheaper substitute | Adult handling / safety gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | BioAmp EXG Pill Upside Down Labs · single-channel biopotential amplifier, default EEG/EOG configuration; 3.3 V or 5 V supply (vendor docs); run at 3.3 V here | 1 | $34.49 | $34.49 | tindie.com Tindie (Upside Down Labs) $34.49 · checked 2026-10-13 · In stock (read 2026-10-13) | — | Header soldering: adult supervision, Z87+ glasses |
| B2 | BioAmp Cable v3 (3 snap leads) Upside Down Labs · IN+, IN−, REF to snap electrodes | 1 | $5.49 | $5.49 | tindie.com Tindie (Upside Down Labs) $5.49 · checked 2026-10-13 · Not confirmed (Tindie returned 403 on a later re-check) | — | — |
| B3 | Gel snap electrodes, pack of 100 Upside Down Labs baby gel electrodes · 3 per session; single use | 1 | $18.49 | $18.49 | tindie.com Tindie (Upside Down Labs) $18.49 · checked 2026-10-13 · Not confirmed (Tindie returned 403 on a later re-check) | Any pre-gelled Ag/AgCl snap electrodes (ECG type) | Stop if skin reddens or itches; ask about adhesive/gel allergy first |
| B4 | Skin prep: alcohol wipes + cotton pads Clean and dry skin before electrodes (lowers impedance) | 1 | $4.00 estimate | $4.00 | Pharmacy (no link) — | Soap and water | No abrasive skin prep on students |
| Subtotal | $62.47 | Low-cost path: $58.47 | |||||
| ID | Part & spec | Qty | Unit (typical) | Line (typical) | Where to buy | Cheaper substitute | Adult handling / safety gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | ESP32 Feather V2 Adafruit PID 5400 · samples the Pill at 250 Hz (ADC1), streams over Bluetooth Classic serial; Wi-Fi off | 1 | $19.95 | $19.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $19.95 · checked 2026-10-13 · In stock | — | Header soldering: adult supervision, Z87+ glasses |
| E2 | 4 × AA battery holder with on/off switch Adafruit PID 830 · the ONLY power source while electrodes are on a person | 1 | $2.95 | $2.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $2.95 · checked 2026-10-13 · In stock | — | — |
| E3 | AA NiMH cells (4 + 4 spare) 4.8 V nominal, ≤ 5.6 V fresh off the charger; ≈ 2000 mAh → many hours at ≈ 100 mA (ESTIMATE) | 1 | $16.00 estimate | $16.00 | Retail (no link) — | None. Do NOT use alkaline: 4 fresh alkaline ≈ 6.4 V, too high for the Feather input after the diode | Charge only in the matching NiMH charger, never while connected to a person |
| E4 | Schottky diode 1N5819 SparkFun COM-10926 · battery → Feather USB pin, band toward the Feather (stops the USB port charging the pack) | 1 | $0.30 | $0.30 | sparkfun.com SparkFun $0.30 (single; $0.29/$0.27 volume) · checked 2026-10-13 · Not confirmed on page | 1N5817 | — |
| E5 | Half-size breadboard Adafruit PID 64 · Feather + Pill + calibration divider | 1 | $4.95 | $4.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $4.95 · checked 2026-10-13 · In stock | — | — |
| E6 | Male/male jumper wires 150 mm (40) Adafruit PID 758 | 1 | $3.95 | $3.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $3.95 · checked 2026-10-13 · In stock | Classroom stock | — |
| E7 | Diffused red 5 mm LEDs (25) Adafruit PID 299 · classifier output LED on GPIO 12 through 330 Ω (steady on/off, never flashing) | 1 | $4.00 | $4.00 | adafruit.com Adafruit $4.00 · checked 2026-10-13 · In stock | On-board red LED (GPIO 13) only | — |
| E8 | Resistors: 33 kΩ, 10 kΩ (battery divider); 330 Ω (LED); 470 kΩ + 47 Ω 1 % (calibration divider); capacitor 1 µF film or ceramic Any 1/4 W; the 1 % pair sets the 50 µV calibration amplitude | 1 | $1.50 estimate | $1.50 | School stock (no link) — | — | — |
| E9 | USB-A to USB-C cable (firmware upload only) Adafruit PID 4474 · unplugged before electrodes go on | 1 | $4.95 | $4.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $4.95 · checked 2026-10-13 · In stock | Classroom cable | — |
| E10 | Opaque project box for the breadboard + battery Opaque project box with a mutually-exclusive USB/electrode cover (build guide B1a), labelled on both faces | 1 | $3.00 estimate | $3.00 | Retail (no link) — | Opaque cardboard box with the same sliding cover | — |
| E11 | Adafruit USB Isolator (100 mA) Adafruit PID 2107 · REQUIRED, permanently zip-tied to the station's USB cable (E9); second barrier behind the battery-only rule, not medical-grade, never a reason to use USB with electrodes on | 1 | $34.95 | $34.95 | adafruit.com Adafruit $34.95 · checked 2026-10-13 · In stock (re-read 2026-10-13) | None: required, one per station | Zip-tie and heat-shrink it to the station's only USB cable; never remove it |
| Subtotal | $96.50 | Low-cost path: $79.10 | |||||
| ID | Part & spec | Qty | Unit (typical) | Line (typical) | Where to buy | Cheaper substitute | Adult handling / safety gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Temperature-controlled soldering iron Pinecil | 1 | $68.50 | $68.50 | sparkfun.com SparkFun $68.50 · checked 2026-10-13 · Not confirmed on page | Assumed owned in the low total | Adult supervision |
| T2 | Lead-free solder 15 g SparkFun | 1 | $4.95 | $4.95 | sparkfun.com SparkFun $4.95 (single-unit price) · checked 2026-10-13 · Not confirmed on page | — | Wash hands after soldering |
| T3 | Safety glasses, ANSI Z87.1 Z87+ (high-impact) (soldering, wire trimming) 3M SecureFit SF201AF · clear anti-fog polycarbonate lens marked Z87+ (ANSI Z87.1 impact-rated; 3M spec table on strobelssupply.com and safetycompany.com, read 2026-10-09) | 2 | $5.32 | $10.64 | platt.com Platt Electric Supply $5.32 EA · checked 2026-10-13 · In stock (schema InStock, re-read 2026-10-13) | Any glasses marked Z87+ (ANSI Z87.1 high-impact). Not SparkFun SWG-11046: it lists only CE/EN 1836, a sunglass standard, not impact-rated | — |
| T4 | NiMH smart charger (AA) Matched to NiMH; non-flammable surface | 1 | $20.00 estimate | $20.00 | Retail (no link) — | Assumed owned | Adult supervises charging |
| T5 | Digital multimeter Battery polarity, 3.3 V rail, divider checks; confirms no USB cable is connected | 1 | $20.00 estimate | $20.00 | Retail (no link) — | Assumed owned | — |
| T6 | Laptop with Bluetooth Classic (serial port profile), Arduino IDE, Python 3 + numpy + pyserial Windows / macOS / Linux expose the Feather as a serial port after pairing. Chromebooks and iPads: not supported | 1 | $0.00 estimate | $0.00 | School (no link) — | — | — |
| Subtotal | $124.09 | Low-cost path: $15.59 | |||||
The pack is digital files only. Hardware is bought separately.
These are standards the pack's activities are mapped to by Laue Labs. They are not a certification or endorsement by any standards body or state.
| Activity | NGSS (HS) | Practices / crosscutting | Common Core Math |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab 1 gain, noise, aliasing | HS-PS4-2 (digital vs analog), HS-PS4-1 (wave frequency relations), HS-ETS1-3 | Using mathematics and computational thinking; Scale, proportion and quantity | HSN-Q.A.1–3 (units, precision), HSF-TF.B.5 (sinusoids) |
| Lab 2 artifacts | HS-LS1-2 (systems of interacting parts), HS-PS3-5 (fields, enrichment) | Analyzing and interpreting data; Cause and effect | HSS-ID.A.1 |
| Lab 3 spectra | HS-PS4-1, HS-LS1-3 (feedback/homeostasis, enrichment) | Developing and using models; Patterns | HSF-TF.B.5, HSS-ID.A.2 |
| Lab 4 effect size | HS-LS1-2 | Engaging in argument from evidence; Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information | HSS-IC.B.5 (significance via simulation), HSS-IC.B.6 |
| Lab 5 classifier | HS-ETS1-4 (computer simulation of solutions), HS-ETS1-3 | Using computational thinking; Systems and system models | HSS-IC.A.2 (does a model fit the data?), HSS-IC.B.5 |
Ethics strand: informed consent, privacy of biometric data, limits of claims (non-medical). Mapping is a starting point; check it against your own state standards.
One student or one household.
You may:
You may not:
One homeschool family, or one co-op group of up to 10 learners with its facilitator(s).
You may:
You may not:
One teacher with up to 30 students in a single class or cohort.
You may:
You may not:
All licenses: digital files only (hardware not included). Keep Laue Labs attribution on printed handouts. After checkout you get an instant download on the thanks page. License questions, more learners, or site licenses: lance.haney@gmail.com.
