Smartphones as pocketable labs: Visions for mobile brain imaging and neurofeedback

Mobile brain imaging solutions, such as the Smartphone Brain Scanner, which combines low cost wireless EEG sensors with open source software for real-time neuroimaging, may transform neuroscience experimental paradigms. Normally subject to the physical constraints in labs, neuroscience experimental paradigms can be transformed into dynamic environments allowing for the capturing of brain signals in everyday contexts. Using smartphones or tablets to access text or images may enable experimental design capable of tracing emotional responses when shopping or consuming media, incorporating sensorimotor responses reflecting our actions into brain machine interfaces, and facilitating neurofeedback training over extended periods. Even though the quality of consumer neuroheadsets is still lower than laboratory equipment and susceptible to environmental noise, we show that mobile neuroimaging solutions, like the Smartphone Brain Scanner, complemented by 3D reconstruction or source separation techniques may support a range of neuroimaging applications and thus become a valuable addition to high-end neuroimaging solutions. •We present a vision of mobile EEG system.•We provide the design and implementation of a mobile EEG system.•We validate the Smartphone Brain Scanner.•Low­cost, mobile devices can be used for collecting EEG recordings.•Collected data is of a quality allowing for decoding of cognitive states.