EARLY BIRD DEVELOPER EDITION – Backer here.
I had an eye on the Emotiv Epoc a few years ago but it was too expensive for just playing around.
Therefore I was really excited when the Insight showed up on Kickstarter.
I usually don’t write reviews, but in this case my excitement turned into real disappointment and I wanted to share this with you. Don’t get me wrong – I would say I have a high tolerance limit on stuff like that and I do know that Kickstarter-Projects usually feel a bit like Beta-Products. Whenever I get new Gadgets and they’re buggy, I put them aside for a few month and hope that things get better after the software side gets more stable (good examples are the MYO, LeapMotion or the Micro3D Printer).
And it shows me how committed the company is to deliver a good product and not just make a few bucks by selling a device.
Here are the basic points that bug me:
1.) The Software (on Android)
There are currently 3 Android Apps available and they’re all buggy at best.
„Emotiv Insight“ and „Mental Commands“ feel like Alpha-Stadium Software and the „Brain Visualizer“ either crashes right away or doesn’t show any results. It seems that they stopped developing on this Apps, since the last Updates are more than half a year ago. Also the „needed“ permissions would normally keep me from using them – I can’t pair my Device via the „Emotiv Insight“-App without enabling GPS/Location Services and grand access to my Contacts. Seriously?
I couldn’t connect the Insight to my Desktop-PC, since none of my available USB/BT Dongles seemed to work.
And spending another 60$ for the „official“ transmitter (plus shipping, taxes, custom charges, …) seemed a bit too much.
2.) no EEG raw data access
Actually my first intention to get the Insight was to look and record my own EEG data.
I’m not interested in a „bar“ that shows me how excited/relaxed/etc… I am.
But I was hoping that I could at least get some information out via the Brain Visualizer App.
At first I was also confused that there were 2 Insight Versions (with EEG access enabled and one without, but I’m not sure if that is still the case).
Although you can get access to the EEG raw data (as far as I understood) via a monthly subscription from 50$ upwards,
which feels like a rip off… and that brings me to:
3.) The Prices are hilarious
20$ for a charging cable which is basically a USB-to-Headphone-Jack cable? 60$ for a USB/BT transmitter? 50$ monthly subscription for 50 recordings of EEG data?
Not to mention that I’m not willing to take the risk to spend 80 $ for a the Brain Visualization Application plus 60 $ for a USB Transmitter without the confidence that the whole system actually works.
4.) Wearing the Insight
Seeing someone in the Kickstarter Video running with the device makes me chuckle, since its hard to get 5 green bars by just sitting still. Also it can be very tricky wearing the Insight if you wear glasses. But to be honest – I do see the limitations here and didn’t expect miracles from Emotiv.
5.) Some backers still didn’t get their devices?
That was a bummer – when I checked back on Kickstarter from time to time, it seems some (early) backers didn’t get their devices until now. Thats just embarrassing and doesn’t give me any confidence in backing any further projects or in the company itself at all.
I honestly hope that Emotiv will overcome this obstacles and that the Insight will become a device I actually can (and will) use from time to time. But for now, it’s just a futuristic looking decoration for my Deadpool-Head-piggy-bank 😉