For researchers, educators and wearable developers, the Neuro PlayGround Lite from Upside Down Labs provides a portable solution for capturing and transmitting bio-physiological signals in real-time. Its compact Feather form factor ensures easy deployment with minimal setup and no complications. This board is useful in teaching labs and wearable prototypes without complex wiring. Subjects can move freely, while data streams remain reliable.
Neuro PlayGround Lite supports electrocardiography (ECG), electromyography (EMG), electrooculography (EOG) and electroencephalography (EEG) across three channels. Users can expand its functions with add-on Playmate boards or third-party FeatherWing modules including vibration feedback, audio output and I²C sensor interfaces. Data transfers over Bluetooth LE, Zigbee, Wi-Fi and Thread mesh networks to computers or mobile devices. The open-source Chords software suite offers real-time display, filtering, FFT analysis and data recording.
Four demonstration projects showcase key use cases of the Neuro PlayGround Lite. The first demonstration uses three-channel EMG signals from the left hand, right hand and chest to trigger virtual musical instruments when muscles contract. The next demonstration captures ECG signals to calculate heart rate and displays results in a web browser via a Bluetooth LE connection. The third demonstration detects eye blinks in EOG data and uses them to emulate keyboard keystrokes for hands-free control. The last demonstration shows a brain-computer interface (BCI) application that uses EEG signals to operate an interactive bubble popping game in a web browser based on concentration levels.
At its core, Neuro PlayGround Lite features an ESP32-C6 RISC‑V microcontroller with 8 MB of flash memory and a three-channel amplifier. I/O includes wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Thread and Zigbee, six addressable RGB LEDs for visual feedback, a user LED and a battery-charging indicator LED. Power and programming use a USB Type-C connector alongside reset and boot buttons. Onboard power management integrates a 600 mA LDO regulator, LiPo charger and protection diodes. The Feather pin layout ensures compatibility with existing accessory ecosystems. The firmware of the Neuro PlayGround Lite is available now under an open-source license and the schematic diagrams will be shared upon shipping with full hardware design files released after key milestones. For more information, kindly visit the Crowd Supply page of this product.
