PhantomHead

As part of the “PhantomHead” project, an artificial head has been developed that is suitable for simulating electrophysiological signals of the human brain and is intended to optimize the technical evaluation of EEG systems. When involving humans as a data source, researchers face several challenges: The underlying brain activity is unknown, muscle and movement artifacts interfere with the target signals, and reproducibility is lacking.

The PhantomHead consists of a gelatin-like material that is poured into a 3D-printed mold. The addition of sodium chloride achieves a precise replica of the electrical conductivity of skin. A key feature of the EEG phantom head is the simplified reproduction of electrical brain activity, which can be derived from the surface of the artificial head via electrodes. Electrical stimulation in the typical EEG frequency range generates reproducible electrical patterns that enable objective performance comparison of EEG sensor systems.

The synergies from the ATTENTION project and the close exchange with the Carl von Ossietzky University and the TU Ilmenau strengthen the innovative power and applicability of the phantom head in EEG research.