Into the Flow: A Neuro-Adaptive System for Creative State
1.0 Project Description
This project focuses on designing a neuro-adaptive ambient system that detects when a person is approaching a creative mental state and provides real-time feedback through light and haptics. Students will begin development with a commercial EEG headset to analyze alpha, theta, and beta brainwave patterns, and then advance to building a custom EEG device tailored for this application.
The system will translate brainwave activity into adaptive outputs — for example, increasing theta (linked to creativity and daydreaming) and balanced alpha will trigger calming light patterns or gentle haptic pulses. A popup tent/tipi will be used as an immersive demonstration environment.
Students will also learn to partition the project into stages, using synthetic data at intermediate steps to make progress before integrating all components. This approach emphasizes strong skills in debugging and troubleshooting, which are critical for real-world engineering.
Deliverables include:
· A working prototype of the neuro-adaptive ambient system.
· A custom EEG device with hardware schematics.
· Open-source software, hardware documentation, and 3D-printed design files as part of a knowledge base for future teams.
Impact:
The project advances TAMiNA Lab’s mission of creating tech-assisted mindfulness and creativity tools by combining physiological sensing, adaptive feedback, and immersive environments. It not only demonstrates a working system but also generates reusable, open knowledge that contributes to the broader engineering and research community.
Why this is important:
By merging engineering innovation with creativity facilitation, the project equips students with skills in embedded systems, biosignal processing, and hardware prototyping, while showcasing TAMiNA Lab’s vision of building neuro-adaptive tools that promote well-being and imagination.
Students working on this project will need a mix of hardware, software, and signal processing skills. Desirable backgrounds include:
· Embedded Systems Programming (C/C++, Python, Arduino/ESP32)
· Circuit Design & Hardware Prototyping (amplifiers, filters, microcontroller integration for EEG acquisition)
· Signal Processing (EEG analysis, alpha/theta/beta ratio computation, data simulation)
· CAD & Fabrication (3D design in Fusion 360 or SolidWorks; 3D printing enclosures and components)
· System Integration & Debugging (partitioning large systems, troubleshooting across hardware/software interfaces)
Familiarity with biofeedback systems, neurotechnology, or human factors is helpful but not required.
Student Citizenship Restrictions:
All students, no restrictions.
Dr. Leyla Nazhandali will be available to mentor the students directly and provide guidance throughout the project. She will also connect the team with additional subject matter experts and resources as needed.
Projects will be performed in Virginia Tech Labs, Blacksburg, VA, unless other arrangements have been negotiated. The student team is encouraged to visit the customer provided their travel authorization is pre-approved by the class instructor.
This work scope is to be performed on a best effort basis.
Students, faculty, and administration are prohibited from signing any Intellectual Property agreements or Non-Disclosure agreements. These are University policies and there are no exceptions. No project work may include elements that are deemed For Official Use Only, Proprietary, Sensitive, or Classified. Posters will be publicly displayed, and Project Notebooks will be publicly available. The Sponsor has the right to specify that their project team be comprised of US citizens; however, this does not imply allowance of Import/Export restricted information flow. Students nor faculty nor administration can receive ITAR restricted information or data. Should a company require approval of the Poster or other materials before public display, it is the responsibility of the Sponsor to ensure that such approval is secured in a proper and timely fashion and according to the requirements of the Sponsor's firm. Sponsoring companies must assume widespread discrimination of provided technical and project information. This includes other students, faculty, administration and even competitors in the marketplace as this is a totally open project. In any event, VT shall be held harmless for the public display of project materials.
Light as a Guide: Open Hardware and Software for Relaxation and Creativity
1.0 Project Description
This project aims to design a low-cost, open-source alternative to the Lucia Light, a multi-thousand-dollar device known for its strobing light effects that support relaxation, meditation, and creativity. The student team will develop both the hardware prototype and software platform for this system.
The hardware component involves designing circuitry to safely drive halogen or high-intensity LED lights, housed in a custom 3D-printed enclosure that can be either worn or held close to the face. The system will deliver adjustable strobing patterns that research has linked to states of relaxation, meditation, and creative flow.
In parallel, the team will create a companion Android application to control the strobing light, inspired by commercial apps such as Luminate, which currently cost upwards of $50 per month. The project’s goal is to provide a free, accessible alternative by publishing the schematics, software, and 3D design files as open-source resources.
Deliverables include:
· A working prototype of the neuro-adaptive ambient system.
· A custom EEG device with hardware schematics.
· Open-source software, hardware documentation, and 3D-printed design files as part of a knowledge base for future teams.
Impact:
This project combines hardware innovation with accessible software design to democratize a tool that is currently financially out of reach for most people. By releasing a free, open-source alternative, it expands TAMiNA’s impact on the fields of tech-assisted mindfulness and creativity enhancement. The device has potential applications in mental wellness, creativity training, meditation practices, and therapeutic environments.
Why this is important:
By merging hardware prototyping, power electronics, and mobile app development, this project equips students with skills in circuit design, embedded programming, 3D fabrication, and Android development. At the same time, it advances TAMiNA Lab’s vision of creating accessible, open-source technologies that promote relaxation, meditation, and creative flow. The project not only delivers a functional prototype but also contributes an openly shared knowledge base, lowering financial barriers to mindfulness and creativity-enhancing tools that are typically limited to expensive commercial products.
Circuit design and power electronics for strobing halogen/LED lights.
Embedded programming for safe and precise strobe control.
3D design and additive manufacturing for ergonomic housing.
Android app development (Java/Kotlin) with Bluetooth or wired communication.
Open-source documentation and reproducibility.
Skills in debugging, system partitioning, and synthetic testing before full hardware integration
Halogen or high-intensity LED lights and safe driving circuitry.
Microcontroller platform (Arduino/ESP32 or similar).
Android development environment.
3D printer and CAD software (Fusion 360, SolidWorks).
TAMiNA lab resources for prototyping and testing.
Dr. Leyla Nazhandali will be available to mentor the students directly and provide guidance throughout the project. She will also connect the team with additional subject matter experts and resources as needed.
Projects will be performed in Virginia Tech Labs, Blacksburg, VA, unless other arrangements have been negotiated. The student team is encouraged to visit the customer provided their travel authorization is pre-approved by the class instructor.
This work scope is to be performed on a best effort basis.
Students, faculty, and administration are prohibited from signing any Intellectual Property agreements or Non-Disclosure agreements. These are University policies and there are no exceptions. No project work may include elements that are deemed For Official Use Only, Proprietary, Sensitive, or Classified. Posters will be publicly displayed, and Project Notebooks will be publicly available. The Sponsor has the right to specify that their project team be comprised of US citizens; however, this does not imply allowance of Import/Export restricted information flow. Students nor faculty nor administration can receive ITAR restricted information or data. Should a company require approval of the Poster or other materials before public display, it is the responsibility of the Sponsor to ensure that such approval is secured in a proper and timely fashion and according to the requirements of the Sponsor's firm. Sponsoring companies must assume widespread discrimination of provided technical and project information. This includes other students, faculty, administration and even competitors in the marketplace as this is a totally open project. In any event, VT shall be held harmless for the public display of project materials.