In my first master’s year, I wanted to work on something innovative, in particular in healthcare. I decided to join the newly formed student organization Neurotech Leuven.
In the pilot year, we focused on familiarizing ourselves with Neurotech and building the team to eventually compete in international competitions. We built a small brain-computer interface (BCI) where people could control a car using their brains. We used this to showcase neurotechnology at multiple events, including the very first edition of MindSeed; an event all about neurotech, organized by ourselves.
During and after the summer, we recruited some more members to work on a new project, that would eventually become BrainBrowsR. We brainstormed (pun intended) about applications that could be useful for people with conditions such as ALS and locked-in syndrome. Ultimately we settled on creating a BCI that enables them to communicate their feelings on social media, like Instagram. After months of hard work, we had a prototype in both Javascript (frontend) and Python (dataprocessing) that was able to translate EEG signals into concrete actions. You can find our source code and documentation on our Github.
After two years of being part of this organization as a student, I am now a supervisor, working with the student to create the newest project to enter the NTX competition. Helping the students plan the project, but also assisting on the financial side, with sponsors and accounting.