Read Your Brainwaves. For Real

February 03, 2025

Blog

A few weeks ago, at CES, I encountered a technology that seemed too science fiction to actually work. In its simplest form, you wear a headband that contains a few sensors, and those sensors read your brain waves. That’s not really possible, or is it? Being the skeptic that I am, I told the spokespeople that I doubted their technology could work, and I moved on.

A day later, I saw a second instance of very similar technology on display at a vendor I am quite familiar with, Analog Devices (ADI). In this case, the prototype looked more like traditional earbuds. Here, IDUN Technologies showed off the results of a partnership with ADI, whereby Swiss-based IDUN Technologies takes an EEG reading from a human ear, putting the technology into what looks like an earbud. The EEG records the electrical activity coming from the brain, measuring and analyzing the brain waves, which are patterns of electrical signals produced by neurons in the brain.

The earbuds, in what IDUN calls its Guardian prototype, are close to the brain, and the reduced movement, thanks to good stabilization in the ear, allows the sensor to pick up high-quality EEG. This prototype features a compact, power-efficient design, and it can seamlessly blend brain data with audio technology, opening up new possibilities in entertainment, productivity, and personal well-being. ADI’s contribution is a highly integrated, biopotential analog front end, which offers both clinical-grade performance and ultra-low power for long battery life.

The neuro insights that can be realized will enable sleep enhancement, whereby real-time insights from brain activity can be used to take corrective action to improve sleep quality. In addition, the data can be used for speech enhancement, especially in noisy environments.

I’m not a complete believer yet, but I’m far closer to that point than I was after my initial introduction. Stay tuned.