title: Transitioning EEG experiments away from the laboratory using a Raspberry Pi 2.
abstract: Electroencephalography (EEG) experiments are typically performed in controlled laboratory settings to minimise noise and produce reliable measurements. These controlled conditions also reduce the applicability of the obtained results to more varied environments and may limit their relevance to everyday situations.
  
  
  
  Advances in computer portability may increase the mobility and applicability of EEG results while decreasing costs. In this experiment we show that stimulus presentation using a Raspberry Pi 2 computer provides a low cost, reliable alternative to a traditional desktop PC in the administration of EEG experimental tasks.
  
  
  
  Significant and reliable MMN and P3 activity, typical event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with an auditory oddball paradigm, were measured while experiments were administered using the Raspberry Pi 2. While latency differences in ERP triggering were observed between systems, these differences reduced power only marginally, likely due to the reduced processing power of the Raspberry Pi 2.
  
  
  
  An auditory oddball task administered using the Raspberry Pi 2 produced similar ERPs to those derived from a desktop PC in a laboratory setting. Despite temporal differences and slight increases in trials needed for similar statistical power, the Raspberry Pi 2 can be used to design and present auditory experiments comparable to a PC.
  
  
  
  Our results show that the Raspberry Pi 2 is a low cost alternative to the desktop PC when administering EEG experiments and, due to its small size and low power consumption, will enable mobile EEG experiments unconstrained by a traditional laboratory setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Jonathan W P
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kuziek
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Axita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shienh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Canada; Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: kyle.mathewson@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Kyle E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Mathewson
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D040421:Cell Phone; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: EEG; ERP; Ecological; Hardware; Portable; Raspberry Pi; Software