Neuro PlayGround Lite (NPG Lite) is a multichannel Feather-form-factor wireless bio-physiological signal acquisition board. It can be used for Electrocardiography (ECG), Electromyography (EMG), Electrooculography (EOG), or Electroencephalography (EEG). Its compact footprint and hassle-free setup ensure portability, quick deployment, and a clutter-free experience, making it ideal for research, education, and wearable applications.

Users can expand NPG Lite’s capabilities with add-on Playmate boards and 3rd party FeatherWing boards. Its extensive compatibility lets you equip your device with features like a vibration motor for haptic feedback, a buzzer for audio feedback, and I2C connectivity, making it highly versatile for a wide range of applications. It leverages our powerful open source, cross-platform Chords software suite (Chords-Web, Chords-Python, and Chords LSL Connector), letting users visualize captured bio-physiological signals in real-time, apply filtering, perform FFT analysis, and much, much, more. Because of its expandability, wide array of applications, and robust networking capabilities (using Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, or Thread for mesh networking), NPG Lite lets you capture bio-physiological signals how you want and where you want it.

Create wireless Human-Computer Interfaces (HCI) & Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI)

NPG Lite, with its multi-channel BioAmp, wireless connectivity, battery operation, and expansion interface, allows users to create HCI and BCI applications with ease. We’ve created four demos leveraging ECG, EMG, EOG, and EEG singals to inspire you, but the possibilities cover so many more use cases.

Make Muscular Music

This is a human-computer interface (HCI) that uses 3-channel EMG data to detect muscle signals from the left hand, right hand, and chest to control virtual musical instruments. When muscles contract, each channel triggers a distinct sound effect, transforming your body into an organic orchestra.

Track Your Ticker

This demo focuses on capturing electrocardiogram (ECG) signals to calculate heart rate using Neuro PlayGround Lite and displaying them in a Chrome-based browser on a mobile phone in real-time via a Bluetooth LE connection.

Jump In the Blink of an Eye

Instead of using the keyboard, you can control a game simply by blinking. The setup detects EOG signals from the eyes, sends the data over Bluetooth LE to the PC, detects eye blinks, and then takes the eye blink as a trigger to emulate the spacebar keystroke. You can configure the code to simulate any other keystroke as well.

Pop Bubbles With Your Mind

This demo showcases a brain-computer interface (BCI) application that utilizes EEG (electroencephalography) signals to operate an interactive bubble-popping game in a web browser. The system identifies beta wave activity (12–30 Hz), indicating concentration and attention levels. Bubbles appear and pop as the user maintains focus, but they cease to pop when concentration wanes.

Features & Specifications

Neuro PlayGround Lite

Microcontroller

• ESP32-C6 (RISC-V) with 8 MB Flash

Sensors

• 3 channel BioAmp
• Supports ECG, EMG, EOG, and EEG

I/O

• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Thread, and Zigbee wireless connectivity
• 6 RGB addressable LEDs for visual feedback
• User LED and battery charging indicator LED
• USB Type-C for power, charging, and programming
• Board Reset and User/Boot buttons
• Standard Feather form factor (GPIO, Power, RX/TX pins etc)

Power

• 600 mA LDO and LiPo battery charging on-board
• Picoblade LiPo battery connector
• USB & user protection diodes

Pinout Diagram

NPG Playmate Vibz

• Vibration motor for haptic feedback
• Buzzer for auditory feedback
• 2.54 mm electrode interface
• Common negative electrode option
• QWIIC port for I2C devices
• ON/OFF slide switch

Open Source

At Upside Down Labs, we believe in the power of open source to drive innovation, foster collaboration, and empower creators. Neuro PlayGround (NPG) Lite embodies this philosophy by being fully open source. Its firmware is readily available at NPG Lite Firmware, and our supporting tools, including Chords-Web, Chords-Python, and Chords LSL Connector, are released under open-source licenses. Additionally, we will share schematic diagrams as soon as devices reach the hands of our backers.

But we won’t stop there. Once we achieve significant milestones in our journey, such as reaching a broader community of users and supporters, we will release all hardware design files as open source. This step will enable enthusiasts, researchers, and developers to contribute to and build upon our work, creating a thriving ecosystem around NPG Lite.

By supporting this project, you’re not just backing a product—you’re joining a movement that values openness, creativity, and shared progress. Together, we can push the boundaries of what’s possible in bio-physiological signal acquisition and beyond.

Interested in This Project?

You can sign up at the top of this page to be notified when the campaign launches and to receive other updates. We only send out relevant content, and you can unsubscribe at any time.